


The Endless Tango of Love and Money

by Seeroftodayandtomorrow



Category: Glee
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-20
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-02 04:01:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 32,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1052288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seeroftodayandtomorrow/pseuds/Seeroftodayandtomorrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kurt Hummel hires escort Blaine Anderson to play his boyfriend at a family gathering, he sets in motion a chain of events that ends up with them living together for a year, posing as boyfriends, and struggling with jealous relatives, dancing, money, and love.</p><p>Once again inspired by, and very loosely based on a German novel I read a long time ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“No, it's not – for heaven's sake, Rachel, it's not that kind of escort!”

Kurt has to hold the phone away from his ear to avoid the shrill voice of his friend hurting it.

“Why – I don't know why! No, it's the original sense of the word. Yes. Someone who escorts you somewhere.”

It is hard to get a word in between Rachel's outraged rant, but he has known how she would react when he told her, so it is his own fault.

“Look, it's like at the studio, when there's a ball, and there are not enough gentlemen, I hire some from this agency to dance with the ladies. This is just a little different, cause I'm not looking for a dancer, but for someone who is willing to pretend to be my boyfriend for a week. It's even the same agency!”

Half an hour later, he hangs up, exhausted. It is so tiring to talk to Rachel, he really doesn't know how he has survived living with her. But he has managed to convince her, and himself, that hiring an escort to accompany him to this probably awful party isn't such a bad idea, and really the only solution to several issues he desperately wants to avoid.

He sits down at his desk and re-reads the invitation. In three weeks, his dad and Carole celebrate their ten-year wedding anniversary, and as the time collides with his great-uncle Andy's eightieth birthday, they have decided to make a week-long event of it. Kurt groans internally. He is always happy to see his dad and Carole, but to be around the whole family for a whole week? It will only be bearable if he can avoid the three things that bother him most at events such as this, and for that, he needs a boyfriend. And as there isn't anyone special in his life at the moment – well.

He sighs as he looks up the number of the agency. While he has no problem playing pretend in front of his extended family, he hates lying to his dad, but it can't be helped.

It is true, he hasn't had a boyfriend for some time, and the last time he has brought someone to a bigger family event has ended in a catastrophe that resulted in him being bugged about “a man in his life” ever since. His dad is worried about him being lonely, his bitchy cousin Linda thinks him too frigid to keep a man interested, and the casual homophobia of his older aunts and uncles has them believe gay men to be unable to commit. If he brings a boyfriend, especially one who is charming and polite as someone who works as an event escort is bound to be, all of them will have nothing to say about that topic anymore. Especially Linda. It is essential to his sanity and her survival that she keeps her mouth shut for once.

He phones the agency, and manages to convey what he wants with a minimal amount of misunderstandings. The woman in charge clearly has had stranger demands, though she admitts that pretend boyfriends aren't looked for all that often.

When he hangs up, he is satisfied they have found somebody fitting. He takes a deep breath as he dials a new number. There is one last call he has to make.

“Dad? Could I maybe bring someone to the party?”

 

Three weeks later, Kurt tries to stay calm as he finishes his packing. Things have been anything but ideal the last few weeks. A pipe has burst in the dance studio, and the water damage has made their second hall practically unusable until he finds the money to have a new hardwood floor put in and the walls painted. They have had to reschedule everything and even cancel two classes, and Kurt doesn't like to leave Mike and Brittany alone with the mess for a whole week. However, there ís nothing to be done, because Kurt refuses to let the unrefundable money that he has paid for his pretend boyfriend and now can't afford anymore go to waste, not to mention that he doesn't want to disappoint his dad. So he has to go. But because of all this, he and his new fake boyfriend haven't even found time to meet up beforehand, so they have agreed to fly to Ohio together to go over basics like how they met. So now, he is waiting and trying not to get too nervous, but before he can really begin to get worked up, the doorbell rings.

“Oh my God, “ Kurt cries out after he has opened the door. “Please tell me that you are not planning to wear something like that to the actual party!”

The man standing outside is wearing dusty pink pants and a colorful checked shirt that makes him look like a living pride flag.

The man raises an eyebrow. “And a good day to you, too! I'm Blaine Anderson. Nice to meet you.”

Kurt blushes. “I am so sorry. I was just...surprised. This is very....Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

“I am a walking work of art.” The man grins.

Kurt grins back, pleased that he has caught the reference. He opens the door wider. “Yes, and you look handsome, you look smart. Just...colorful. Please come in.”

The man hesitates. “Um – the cab's still waiting, if you wanted to go to the airport? There's not too much time left till we have to be there anyway, and I thought that maybe we could get coffee. You know, for our first date.”

Kurt has to grin again. “That's very romantic of you. Just let me get my bag.”

 

“So what's it going to be?” Blaine asks when they have found a table in the tiny coffee shop at the airport. “Honey? Darling?”

Kurt blushes. “None, please. Just Kurt. I'm not really...comfortable with pet names at this early stage of our relationship.”

Blaine laughs. “A pity. I'm sure I could have come up with something creative. So how did we meet? A bar?”

“No! Not a bar. I don't really do much partying. Um – how about we stay as close to the truth as possible and say you're one of the dancers the agency sent for my last ball?”

He sighs a little as he remembers he won't be able to hire any more dancers until he manages to fix the second hall, and that he's still at a loss about how to get the money for this.

Blaine looks doubtful. “I'm not sure...I mean, I know the basics, but I'm not that much of a dancer. I'm not sure I can pass for someone who gets hired for dancing.”

Kurt gasps in mock terror. “I'm a dance instructor! I can't date somebody who doesn't know how to dance! But we still have time. There will be no dancing required until at least...the day after tomorrow. I can teach you.”

Blaine doesn't look completely convinced, but he nods. “I did some dancing back in high school, so maybe I'll remember something. What else will I have to do?”

Kurt counts on his fingers. “Wear something decent. I mean, if we were really together, I'd probably pick your clothes for an event like this, so it should be something I'd approve of. Um...look pretty. Be charming. Of course, be completely devoted to me.”

Blaine nods, grinning. “Of course.”

Kurt leans forward. “Now comes the important part. Do not, ever, under any circumstances, sleep with my cousin Linda.”

“Your cousin...Linda? As in, your female cousin? Why would I do that?”

“I don't know either. But my ex didn't share that opinion.”

“Ouch. Bi?”

Kurt shrugs. “I guess. Or gay and experimenting with her? Straight and experimenting with me? I have really no idea.”

“You never talked about that? How long were you together?”

“A few months. And he came up on me. I never felt the need to clarify anything.”

“Okay. So, I promise I won't sleep with your cousin Linda.”

“Thank you.”


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt is surprised by how much he enjoys the flight. Blaine is easy to talk to, and he enjoys his company and their innocent, teasing flirtation. They clear most of the important things they have to know about each other to be able to pass as boyfriends and then decide to practice on the physical aspects of their fake relationship. They leave the plane hand in hand, and although they are in Ohio, no one bats an eye.

They decide to go for another coffee before finding their hotel, and when they are seated at a corner table, Kurt decides to disclose one last, slightly embarrassing detail about their stay.

“So. About that hotel.”

“Yes?”

“Um...my dad booked the rooms. And as I told him we're together, he...booked us a double.”

“So?”

“So we have to sleep in one room.”

“I assumed we would.”

“You did?”

“It would look kind of weird if you had insisted on separate rooms for you and your boyfriend, wouldn't it? So, as long as you don't insist on some crap like one of us sleeps on the floor or keeping your sword between us the whole time, I'm good.”

Kurt has to laugh. “I'm glad to hear that. And I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that I don't own a sword. But I hope you don't have a husband that I must prove to that I'm no danger to your virtue?”

“None that I know of. I do have a father and an older brother though, but I doubt they want anything to do with my virtue.”

Just like that, they are back to laughing as Blaine tells tales of his eccentric actor brother.

“And you?” Kurt asks when he can talk again. “Have you never wanted to follow his example?”

“I generally avoid to follow Cooper's example as much as possible,” Blaine answers, shaking his head. “I...write.”

“Anything I should have read?”

“No, I'm still working on, you know, the whole being published thing. At least, for a real novel. I've published some things, but they're more to pay the bills, in addition to the escorting.”

“So what have you published? What do you write to pay the bills?”

Blaine looks slightly embarrassed. “Romance novels.”

Kurt gapes at him with open mouth. “You write porn.”

“It's not exactly...”

“ _Straight_ porn.”

Blaine starts to answer, but then shrugs and lifts his arms in a gesture of surrender. “Yes, okay, you got me. I write straight porn for a living.”

Kurt keeps gaping for a minute, and then he can't close his mouth because he just has to laugh. Blaine looks at him with an expression of amused patience, waiting for him to explain. When Kurt feels he can stop laughing long enough to talk, he gives in.

“I just imagined what my dad would say if I told him my boyfriend was a porn writer – slash – escort. I mean, are you aware how that sounds?”

Blaine groans. “If I really were your boyfriend, I'd be terrified by now. But even though I'm not, do you think we could stick to event escort/aspiring author, please?” Kurt nods enthusiastically, mouth full of coffee. “We definitely can. After all, you're here so the rumors about my love life stop, not to add new ones.”

“So, if I may know, what precisely are these rumors?”

“Oh, you're so polite, I like that. Um, they're not so exciting, I guess. My -  my dad basically just wants me happy, and since my career didn't quite go as I imagined but I'm quite happy with it anyway he focuses on my love life to nag me about. He tries to be subtle about it, but...well. I can see he wants for me to 'settle already', and it doesn't exactly help that my last break up was a very public and...loud affair.”

“Oh, was that the story with what's her name again?”

“Linda. You have to remember that name. It's the one person at that party you are not required to be polite to. In fact, I practically forbid you to be polite to her.”

“I'll do my best. I can't guarantee anything, though. I've been told I'm quite dapper.”

Kurt takes in the gelled hair and the bow tie and can't argue that. “You are. Oh, well, I guess you may be polite, if you must. But only polite.”

“I already promised I won't sleep with her. So what's the story with her and your ex?”

“At the last bigger family party – I don't remember the occasion, some birthday or other, about three years ago, I went to pick up some people from the airport, and when we got back, we walked right in on them - my dad called it 'being indecent' on the living room couch. It was...very embarrassing for everyone involved.”

“I can imagine.”

“And since then, she just keeps making these remarks. Like I'm too boring or too ugly to get another guy. And if I do, she'll just sleep with him, too.”

“Wow, she seems like a real sweetheart. And what does she mean, boring and ugly? I mean, we haven't known each other that long, but you seem pretty interesting to me. And you're hot.”

Kurt snorts, discreetly but incredulous. “Yeah, right.”

“No, really. Has no one ever told you? Have you had other boyfriends since asshole?”

“Ian. But asshole is okay. And nothing that went for longer than a couple of dates. Which is the third problem. Like, my older relatives, they have kind of accepted that I'm gay, but they seem to think that all gay guys just go to bars on the weekends and pick up a different guy every time. I have really heard my Aunt Mildred say that there's no use in allowing gay marriage because 'the gays don't really want to marry, anyway.' And they keep making remarks about STDs and 'I'm not sure that's what your mother wanted for you', and I just... I kind of want to show them a committed gay relationship.”

“So how long have we been together?”

“In my timeline, we're hitting three months. I know that's not long in terms of commitment, but it's the longest that worked. I mean, I don't want to imagine my dad's reaction if I called him and said, There's this guy I've been seeing for a year now but you've never met him and I haven't even told you his name!”

They laugh, but then Kurt looks at his watch. “We should finish and leave soon. I've told the concierge we'd be there at five.”

Blaine nods as he takes another sip pf his latte. “Can I ask you just one more thing? Earlier, you mentioned that your career din't pan out as planned. You own a dance studio, right? So what did you want to do originally?”

Kurt smiles a little wistfully. “Broadway. I applied to NYADA, the performing arts school? But I didn't get in. I planned on applying again for the next year, and in the mean time I took a few classes to improve my chances. One of them was ballroom dancing, and I...just loved it, and I was really good at it, too. So I took more classes instead of reapplying, and then I learned how to teach the dances, and then five years ago I had that ridiculously good offer of a job as dance instructor, and when the owners of the school retired, I took over. It's great. The only thing is, I don't do much actual dancing anymore. Administration and finances take up a lot of time, and most of the actual teaching is done by Mike and Brittany. Still. I'm glad I went this way. Are you ready to go?”

As they stand up and get ready to leave, the old man that's been sitting at a neighboring table the whole time puts his newspaper down and looks at them. Kurt nearly drops his tray.

“Uncle...Uncle Andy?”

 


	3. Chapter 3

“He didn't say anything! Why didn't he say something?”

Kurt can't seem to calm himself. He's been freaking out ever since their brief and very awkward conversation with Uncle Andy at the coffee shop, in which Uncle Andy has not mentioned one word about what he must have heard. In the cab on the way to their hotel, Kurt is muttering to himself, looking for reasons for his uncle's silence and reassurances that maybe he hasn't heard anything after all. He doesn't want to know what the cab driver will think of him, not to mention Blaine, who is in full pretend-boyfriend mode, patting his knee from time to time while awkwardly saying, “Everything is going to be fine.”

In the elevator to their hotel room, Kurt finally loses his patience for Blaine's well meaning but rather clumsy attempts at consolation.

“It's not going to be fine, okay, Blaine? He must have heard everything! He knows that you're not really my boyfriend, and he _will_ tell at some point!”

He tries to unlock the door to their room with the key card, but fails miserably because he can't keep his hand still for long enough.

“Oh my god, I practically told you I have one night stands! So now he knows, too! Do I want my whole family to know that I have one night stands? Do I want my dad to know that I have one night stands? I don't want him to know that!”

Blaine gently takes the key card from him, unlocks the door and ushers him inside. He takes Kurt's coat and hangs it in the closet, and says,

“You did not say anything about one night stands. Believe me, I would have noticed. And even if, he must be what? Eighty? I'm sure he shows signs of senility.” “Blaine, that's rude!” Kurt says, somewhat shocked, but very slowly beginning to see the humor in their situation.

“Oh please, don't tell me you haven't thought the same. Besides, even if he told everyone that I'm not really your boyfriend, who would believe him?”

He moves Kurt in front of the mirror, then stands behind him, wraps his arms around Kurt's waist and puts his head on his shoulder. He smiles at their reflection. “See? We look adorable together!” Kurt pulls himself together to really look at them. Blaine is right. His head fits right on Kurt's shoulder (although Kurt is aware that Blaine is probably standing on tiptoe), his smile is fondly teasing. They look as if they have done this a million times. They look like a couple.

“Ooh, you are so right. This could fool even my dad. And please, be like that around Linda. She will...I don't even know. But she will be so jealous. She'll hit on you so hard.”

Kurt begins to look forward to fooling everyone in his family into believing that this handsome, charming and easily affectionate man is his boyfriend, and he begins to think of ways to have fun with this. Especially with Linda. She has it coming.

Blaine lets go of him to start unpacking his suitcase, and Kurt remembers he has to do the same before his shirts wrinkle beyond recognition.

“Just, if she does,“ Blaine says, “Hit on me, I mean. Don't pounce on her like a tiger mommy. Let me deal with her, or we do it together. I think I know a few ways to do it that'll teach her to ever hit on anyone's boyfriend again.”

 

Going to bed is surprisingly un-awkward. After dinner in the hotel restaurant, they return to their room, play rock-paper-scissors about who can have the bathroom first, and agree on a movie to watch before sleeping. And then Kurt remembers.

“Blaine?” Blaine seems half asleep already, and so Kurt nudges him in the ribs with his elbow.

“Hmm?”

“We're meeting my dad and Carole tomorrow for breakfast.”

“Okay,” Blaine mumbles, turns on his side and closes his eyes.

“Blaine!”

“What?”

“You can't just...how can you just go to sleep? Aren't you nervous? I'm nervous.”

“Of course you're nervous. He's your dad, you love him and he knows you well and you're lying to him.” With a sigh, Blaine pulls himself up in a sitting position. “But this is my job. I've done this...I don't know, at least six, seven times. It's usually girls and just a night or a weekend, not a whole week, but the difference is not that big. Don't get me wrong, I'll give my best effort, because I kind of like you and I want this to work for you, and also because I'd like to keep my job. But it's just not such a big deal for me.” He pauses and seems to reconsider. “Although your dad sounds terrifying.”

“He's really not.” Kurt has to laugh again; Blaine is right, of course, and somehow, him being calm helps to calm Kurt, too. “It's a relief somehow that one of us can go about this in a professional manner.”

Blaine smiles at him and then closes his eyes. “Don't worry, we'll pull this off.”

 

In the morning, Kurt is happy that he finds himself on his side, facing away from Blaine, and not doing the cliché thing and waking up unconsciously grinding his morning boner into Blaine's backside. So he happily takes a shower and dresses himself, all the while letting Blaine quietly snore into his pillow, and only wakes him when he is completely ready with brushed teeth and styled hair. He not-so-subtly suggests clothes for Blaine to wear, and Blaine complies with a good natured eye roll, so that his look is much more toned down and subtle than in yesterday's outrageous clothes. He still looks....fairly obvious though, which Kurt likes. There's no need in hiding a good thing, after all, and it might calm his dad when, after the disaster with Ian and the sudden confusion about his sexual orientation, the new boyfriend is pretty obviously gay.

When the time arrives, they go downstairs, and Kurt can see Burt and Carole already sitting at a table, coffee in front of them. He takes a deep breath, takes Blaine's hand, and walks up to them.

“Dad, Carole...this is Blaine.”

 

Breakfast goes well, all in all. His dad seems to like Blaine, and Kurt doesn't know if it's the fact that it's Blaine, who is affectionate towards him and polite and charming to Burt and Carole without exaggerating or seeming too smooth, or if Burt is just so happy that there's finally someone in Kurt's life again that it doesn't matter so much who that someone is. Kurt decides to give the credit to Blaine. After all, Burt can have a pretty protective streak, and Kurt seems to remember that he never really warmed up towards Ian.

However, there is one moment that has the potential of being really awkward. Burt had asked the obligatory, 'What are your intentions towards my son' questions, albeit in a way that is much more relaxed and casual than Kurt anticipated, and Blaine had skillfully skirted around a definite answer and had somehow still managed to sound like he thinks of Kurt as his soulmate and the love of his life, and then Burt asks,

“So, as an event escort, does it happen that people hire you as a pretend boyfriend?”

Kurt's heart skips a beat, and he sees his whole plan go up in flames, but Blaine answers without hesitating,

“From time to time. Not as often as one might think, though.”

“Isn't that awkward for Kurt and you, when that happens?”

Kurt dares to exhale, relieved, although the fear that his dad has picked up on something is not quite over yet. Blaine very briefly looks at Kurt and smiles, and answers,

“It hasn't happened yet. But it's not that big of a deal. It's mostly handholding, or now and then a kiss on the cheek. I think that Kurt and I are sure enough of our relationship that we can handle that.”

 

Back in their room, Kurt just has to hug Blaine.

“That went perfect, thank you so much! You are a very talented actor, and you have quite a pokerface. I thought I'd die when he asked that question!”

“Yes, I'm pretty good at my job. Too bad it's not the one I want to be doing.”

Blaine had told Kurt quite truthfully about his terrible writer's block and that his novel seems to be stuck somewhere and won't budge a millimeter.

“I'm sure you'll get there. Maybe your muse comes back this week,” Kurt encourages. “Now, tonight is the first part of the big party. Time for dancing lessons!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I danced, and of course I learned the steps in German, so tell me if I made mistakes. Only keep in mind that this is International Ballroom, not American or Argentine.

Ignoring Blaine groaning and collapsing on the bed, Kurt puts on an upbeat song and starts to just dance around the room. He likes to do this at the start of lessons, just let everyone dance around as they like. Most of his students hate it, but he finds it gives him a good opportunity to watch and see how they are able to control their bodies and its movements, and their ability to feel the rhythm and the music. Besides, it's fun.

“Up,“ he orders. “You've just drunk approximately two liters of coffee, you don't get to pretend you're tired.”

“You've had just as much coffee as I did,” Blaine answers, but gets up from the bed. “So what now, just dance around?”

Instead of starting by awkwardly swaying a bit as most people do, Blaine dives right in. Kurt keeps dancing for a while but then stands to the side and just watches. Blaine's feeling for rhythm and music is excellent, and he seems in control of his body and his movements, but he is also very relaxed and loose-limbed. That will need some work, though not necessarily today. He stops the music after ten minutes or so and half-ironically claps for Blaine, who takes a flourished bow.

“Most of tonight will be only this, or perhaps slow-dancing,” Kurt says. “But there's one dance I'd really like to do, if we get the opportunity and you're up to it.” He changes the music. “Even a basic tango can look very impressive if you get the head movements right, and I want to show off my newly acquired boyfriend.”

“You just want to make Linda jealous.”

“More like setting the trap. I really look forward to watching you take her down. Now, we start with me leading because I know the steps, but it might be fun to switch later.”

“Just like in bed?” “You have a dirty mind, but yes. Exactly. And that's not the only thing tango and sex have in common. Wait, you _are_ gay, aren't you?”

“The pink pants and my open disdain of the thought of sleeping with a girl weren't obvious enough?”

“Just making sure. Because if you were not, this might be a little weird for you.”

He arranges their arms in position and then pulls Blaine flush against him, so that their bodies from waist to knees are pressed together. Apparently, the position is weird to Blaine even though he is gay.

“Woah! What happened to dance space?”

“Not in the tango, Baby.” Kurt glances at Blaine to make sure he understands that this was an answer to the movie reference, not a pet name, and then busies himself with adjusting their postures. He silently laughs at himself because here they are, almost as close as two people can be while wearing clothes, and still he gets flustered at the thought of calling Blaine a pet name.

“Okay, now the tango is sometimes called 'a vertical expression of a horizontal desire'. So it's all about sex, really. That's why we have the close position, and that's why there are steps like this one.” He moves his leg forward so that it is sandwiched between Blaine's, and he suddenly realizes that he's never danced this dance with a man before. In this position, it _is_ a real difference. He clears his throat and resolutely ignores Blaine's red face.

“Now, back straight and head to the left.”

He teaches Blaine the basic steps and the dramatic head movements and leads him through a corte and a simple promenade, and once they get over the initial embarrassment of being so close together, they actually have a lot of fun. Blaine is a good follow, and although the mirror in the hotel room is too small to get a real look, Kurt can see that they look good together. He really starts looking forward to doing this tonight.

 

Later in the evening, they get ready, and when they are done, they again position themselves in front of the mirror and see how they look as a couple. And they look _good_. Even if Kurt says so himself. Blaine is wearing a classic well-cut suit that emphasizes his shoulders and waist, and Kurt himself – well, his own outfit is obviously flawless.

“Remember, if we do get to do the tango, take your jacket off. Ballroom dancing looks stupid in a suit that wasn't especially tailored for dancing.”

“I know. And you remember not to be jealous if Linda makes a move on me. Try not to show any reaction except perhaps light amusement. Like, whatever we do at home, you know you're so good at it I'd never stray.”

Kurt laughs and blushes, and holds his hand out for Blaine to take as they go downstairs to join the party.

His family's reactions to his new boyfriend are mixed. Most act like normal people; they shake Blaine's hand and say 'Nice to meet you'. Some add a 'He's quite a catch!” or “Keep an eye on Kurt”, which makes him internally roll his eyes. Aunt Mildred looks Blaine once over, arches an eyebrow and takes his offered hand, and Kurt swears he hears her mumble under her breath, “It won't last.” Blaine must have heard it too, for he stares unbelieving for one second, and then gives Kurt the most ridiculous heart eyes and a kiss on the cheek.

Kurt is nearly impatient for Linda to start hitting on Blaine. He feels like him and Blaine are conspirators against her, and he is excited and nervous that he will show jealousy, for he is sure to _feel_ jealous even though Blaine isn't even his real boyfriend. He has to wait until after dinner, though, because Linda makes a diva-esque late entry when everybody is already seated, and Kurt doesn't like it, but he has to admit she looks good in her dark red cocktail dress (although she is wearing too much eyeliner).

Kurt is at the bar after dinner getting drinks for Blaine and himself when he sees her approaching Blaine like a lioness approaching her prey, so he decides to perch on a bar stool, slowly sipping on his drink and watching their interaction with what he hopes is a pitying and slightly condescending smile. Linda goes all out. She offers Blaine her hand to kiss, which he gallantly does, and then smiles at him while looking up to him through her lashes, which takes some expertise because she is taller than him. They talk for a bit, which Kurt unfortunately can't hear, and then he nearly chokes on his drink as she slowly runs one finger down Blaine's tie. Blaine seems flustered at first by so much forwardness, but then his expression changes into a 'seriously?' - look as he briefly locks eyes with Kurt and then gently takes her hand to move it away from him.

Finally, Blaine manages to get away and joins Kurt at the bar, giving him a lingering kiss on the cheek while discreetly side-eyeing Linda, who watches them with a little smirk. “She is...I don't even know. Aggressive. She told me that thing, you know, from Victor/Victoria? That I might be gay now but the right girl could certainly convert me?”

Kurt whistles. “That is...even more offensive than I expected of her. What did you say?”

“Well, she didn't seem to know that it was from a movie, so I stole Toddy's answer and told her that the right girl could certainly convert her as well. She said she was open to anything and told me I could watch. Or join. I take that as a challenge. We have to do the tango.”

 

They do, a little later. When the dj plays the right music and there is enough room on the dance floor to actually move, they take the opportunity, and soon nobody dances anymore, but most of the party guests stand around the dance floor in a circle and watch. Everything goes well, they even manage to switch leads without blotching noticably, and when the dance is over, they accept their applause with flushed cheeks and big smiles. Kurt's good mood is challenged a little when, besides the genuine enjoyment on the faces of most of their audience and the open pride on his dad's, he notices embarrassment and even disgust displayed by some of his older relatives, in particular Aunt Mildred, who whispers indignantly in Uncle Andy's ear and seems put out when he only watches them with a benevolent smile. Kurt can't believe it. He knows he chose the tango not only to make Linda jealous, but also to provoke, but for heaven's sake, it's not the lambada!

The music changes into a ballad, and it seems only natural to stay on the floor and start slow dancing, but after a few seconds, Linda steps between them, and without even acknowledging Kurt's existence she puts her arms around Blaine's neck and starts swaying. Kurt decides to be the bigger man and steps back, although he feels sorry for Blaine who watches him leave the dance floor with a slightly desperate expression, but politely starts dancing with Linda.

When the dance is over, Blaine manages to escape, walks up to Kurt and puts his arms around him. “She is unbelievable. I've never experienced something like that before, she just can't take no for an answer. We have to start working with heavier calibers. You should give me a hickey.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unsurprisingly, this has marking. And...apparently I wrote marking kink? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.
> 
> By the way, if you want visuals from the tango from last chapter, there are some great videos of two men dancing tango on youtube.

Kurt feels like he has to physically stop his jaw from hitting the floor.

“You....I...Are you serious?”

“I am. You should give me a hickey. A big and very obvious hickey.”

“You -- are very dedicated to your job.”

“Hey, do you think I do this with everyone? She just...hits me the wrong way. To be so...brazen, after all she's done to you...”

“To be fair, that wasn't her alone.”

“Yeah well, but she seems very intent on repeating it. And I just – Everyone should accept a no. Everyone. I mean, I told her I was gay. That I was with you, that I was in love with you. Um – I might have told her you were an excellent lover. And she was...completely unimpressed. She just kept on pushing.”

Kurt decides to ignore Blaine's bragging about his sexual prowess, and he feels it isn't his place to inquire where there is clearly a back story, so he just settles on repeating.

“A hickey. All right. But I refuse to do this in some bathroom stall, so we have to sneak out for a bit and go back to our room.”

”Yeah. We should do it now, come on, nobody's watching us. And we have to hurry, she has to see it soon.”

They walk out of the party room to the stairs, still hand in hand in case anyone is watching after all, but Kurt doesn't really understand the rush.

“Why? We have the whole week.”

“Because if she sees it some other day, she will think you gave it to me after she hit on me, to stake your claim so to speak. Which would be – kind of hot, in fact, but not what we want to achieve here. We want you to look completely sure of me, like there's just no need for you to prove I'm yours. So that hickey has to be somewhere under my shirt collar, where it can be seen when I loosen my tie, and it has to look like it's been there all along. So we have to do it now, and we have to be quick.”

Kurt is surprised by the way Blaine has very obviously taken the initiative in their little scheme, but then he thinks that if he'd spent half an evening being hit on by cousin Linda, he'd want it to stop, too. So he's not going to question Blaine. After all, he's acting on his best interest.

It's in their room that things get awkward.

“So, how do you...Do you want to lie down or...?”

Blaine nods and lies on the bed, and after hesitating briefly, Kurt joins him and finds that he has to be very close to Blaine to reach his neck with his mouth. He finally settles on his side, popped up on one elbow, one leg draped over Blaine's to avoid falling over.

“Should I just – okay.”

He loosens Blaine's tie and opens the first few buttons of his shirt, and then chooses a spot low on Blaine's neck. He can't imagine just starting to...suck, so he kisses the spot experimentally and then runs it over with his tongue, and it feels very weird and like they are in a situation very different from the one they actually are in, and he thinks that might actually help. So he closes his eyes and imagines Blaine is his lover, and he settles his head on Blaine's shoulder and places long, open-mouthed kisses on his neck, and then starts nibbling, biting and sucking for real. He sinks into his fantasy, feeling Blaine's light stubble on his lips and tongue and tasting his skin, and is not even embarrassed by the fact that Blaine must be able to feel his growing arousal against his thigh, and he is not surprised to feel a hand grabbing his hair and pressing his head down on Blaine's neck. But after a while, a broken moan from Blaine calls him back into reality.

He sits up, not really knowing what just happened, and briefly meets the eyes of a dazed-looking Blaine who distractedly touches his neck. As his hand falls down, Kurt gasps as he sees a very impressive hickey that will barely be able to be covered by a shirt collar, and then wonders what the hell is wrong with him when he feels his cock give a violent twitch. He definitely seems to have a thing for hickeys, and when he looks at Blaine, he can't help but think that's apparently something they've got in common.

He clears his throat. “What just...I seem to have gone a little...I'm sorry.”

Blaine seems to shake himself out of his stupor and slowly rises to walk over to the mirror, and Kurt can clearly see that this...episode hasn't left him unaffected either. Blaine looks in the mirror, and he can't seem to stop touching the bruise that adorns his neck.

“I think...mission accomplished.”

Kurt nods. “We – we should go back down.”

“Yes, I just. Need a minute. And you should check your hair.”

They go down after ten minutes that Kurt spends sitting on the rim of the tub after fixing his hair and splashing his face with water, willing his erection as well as his embarrassment to go down so that he will be able to function again. The only consolation is that, at least as far as he knows, Blaine is sitting on the edge of the bed doing exactly the same.

As they leave the room, he touches Blaine's arm.

“Just---try not to let my dad see it.”

Blaine nods and then laughs, and gradually, their embarrassment seems to ebb away. Kurt feels confident that at some point in the course of the evening, he will be able to look Blaine in the eyes again without blushing. He only hopes that the hickey leads Linda to back off, so that at least everything would have been worth it. He knows they have to talk about what happened eventually if they want the easy almost-friendship they had going on to continue – and he does – but he feels sure they can get over the evening.

No one seems to have noticed their absence, everything seems normal. There is only one problem.

“Blaine, stop it.”

“What?” “You keep touching – you know.”

Kurt really needs Blaine to stop touching his neck. Apart from the fact that it looks suspicious – he wouldn't touch it if it had actually been there for some time – being reminded of that hickey does _things_ to Kurt. That Blaine doesn't do it on purpose, that he can't seem to help himself, just makes it hotter.

The solution they eventually find is slow dancing, where Kurt can wrap his arms around Blaine's neck and deny him access, so to speak. It helps one part of the problem, but not the other; but it seems to somehow endear them to Kurt's assembled relatives, as far as he can see from where his head is resting on Blaine's hair. One of his aunts is aw – ing, Carole actually wipes her eyes, and even Uncle Andy is looking on with a smile. Only Aunt Mildred, his sister, looks disapproving, but he expected nothing less. What kind of frightens him is when they turn and he sees Linda, who is dancing with one of his distant cousins, but steadily watching them with an expression of angry determination. Really, what does she get from all this? Blaine is hot, yes, handsome and charming, but is he really worth all this effort to get him when he clearly doesn't want to?

Who is he kidding. She does this to spite him. If Blaine had a hump and two noses, she would hit on him just because she thinks he is Kurt's boyfriend. And Kurt doesn't even know what he has done to make her dislike him so much.

He purposely turns them so they are facing away from Linda, and tries to just enjoy the dance. He's never really done this. Ian didn't like dancing (and really, how did he ever think they were compatible?), so they never did, and Blaine is nice and close and smells good and _has a hickey that Kurt gave him on the side of his neck._

Kurt is relieved when the song changes to an upbeat number.

He has fun showing Blaine the basics of jive right there on the dance floor, and when the song ends, they are both red-faced and out of breath from laughing and dancing. They look at each other: this is the perfect opportunity.

Blaine drops down on a chair next to Linda's, fans himself with his hand and then loosens his tie and opens the first button of his shirt, dragging a little at the collar. The hickey is clearly visible, and Linda's reaction at first is exactly what they hoped for. She is talking to the guy she danced with earlier, but when she sees Blaine's neck, she stops talking mid-sentence and just – stares. Then she rises, looks Kurt in the eyes and says,

“Maybe I underestimated you, dearest cousin. Apparently you actually can match the sexual skills of a vacuum cleaner.”

She turns, but instead of just leaving as Kurt has hoped, she drops down on Blaine's lap and practically shoves her cleavage into his face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter with the off-screen death of an OC.  
> Next update will take longer, I'm going on vacation!  
> Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it and a wonderful 2014 for all of you!

“What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?”

Blaine rises as quickly as the additional weight on his lap allows, and Linda, caught unawares, almost falls to the ground. Ironically, it is Kurt's arm she grabs to steady herself, and as soon as she realizes this, she lets go as quickly as if she burnt herself. As soon as she regains her equilibrium (which is soon; Kurt could almost admire her), she shoots Blaine a seductive smile.

“Why, I just think I can give you what you need. More than _him_ , anyway.”

“As if you have any idea about what I need! You're just spite. Everything you did today was to spite Kurt. Don't think you can fool me into believing that _anything_ about this was about me or what I need. I don't know what kind of...feud you have going on with Kurt, but I can't be in the middle of this. Keep me out of it!”

With a quiet “I'm sorry” to Kurt, Blaine leaves the room, and as if the situation isn't uncomfortable enough, Kurt realizes that all of the party guests stare at him and Linda. All Kurt really wants to do is go after Blaine, but he feels he has to do some kind of damage control first, though he has no idea how. He sees Linda preparing herself to speak, probably to act the hurt innocence, and is determined to at least stop her from doing any more damage, but someone else is faster. Uncle Andy speaks from his chair in the corner.

“Stop it, girl. In the course of one evening, you have managed to not only embarrass Kurt and his boyfriend, but also to completely humiliate yourself, not to mention that you made everyone else uncomfortable. I think the least you can do is shut up now.”

In the silence that follows, Kurt quietly says, “Excuse me,” and leaves to go look after Blaine.

In their room, Blaine is sitting on the bed and slowly dissolving all the gel in his hair because he keeps running his hands over his face and through his hair. When he hears Kurt enter, he sits up.

“I'm sorry. That was...terribly unprofessional of me.”

Kurt shakes his head and sits beside him.

“No, I'm sorry. I knew you'd be exposed to some amount of crazy, but I didn't expect...this. She only flirted a little with Ian, but then I guess he was much more receptive than you. I didn't anticipate her getting so intense, though.”

“Do you have any idea why she does this? Why she is so intent on stealing your boyfriends?”

“I really have no idea. I wish I did, so I could do something about it. I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this. Really. Are you...are you alright? You seem really upset.”

Blaine sighs and lets himself fall backwards on the bed.

“There was a boy in high school who... pursued me. Hard, and though I didn't really like him very much and he kind of annoyed me, I felt flattered, I guess? And after a time, I couldn't think of any more reasons not to give in, reasons for myself, you know. Like, I'd never had a boyfriend before, and I wanted that. Not necessarily with him, but he was the only one there, and so, eventually, I agreed to date him. And we had some really good times. I wasn't in love, but I guess I became a little infatuated. But after a time, I discovered he still chased other boys. I don't know if he really cheated on me in the way that he slept with them, but...well. He pretty much told me it was never about me, that he just liked the chase. So I recognize the situation, I guess? That I'm pursued, but not because they like me or even just find me attractive, but for some other reason, and that's...not a good feeling. I shouldn't let it get me so worked up any more though, it's been a long time ago. I'm sorry.”

Kurt lies down beside him, suddenly weary. This day has been a lot, in more than one way.

“Don't be. Really, I'm sorry my family is so crazy. I kind of imagined the whole thing to be easier. Like, hire a cute pretend boyfriend, make everyone shut up about my love life, go home, over. Instead you get creepy stalker Linda, and me more or less attacking you before...”

“Oh! No, I mean...yes, but...I think we both got caught in the moment there. And I kind of had forgotten I had this thing for, you know, my neck being kissed. I probably shouldn't have made the suggestion about the hickey, that was really unprofessional, even without our...reactions. Oh god, I'm really fucking up this job, aren't I? I'd not blame you if you wanted to send me home and demand your money back.”

Kurt smiles. “Don't tell me you don't know that your agency doesn't refund. But I wouldn't want to, I think you're doing great, considering the circumstances. Although I wouldn't blame you for wanting to go home,” he quickly adds, feeling slightly guilty for not thinking of this before. “I'm sure we could get away with it, no one would blame you.”

“No, I'll stay. I'd feel bad if I left you alone with all this mess. Just, do you think she'll back off now?”

“Oh! I haven't told you. After your...dramatic exit, something pretty great happened. My uncle Andy stood up for us and pretty much told her to leave you alone, and not privately, everyone heard. So I don't think she'll hit on you again. And if she does, we'll change tactics and I'll challenge her to a duel or something. Or get a restraining order. Still, Uncle Andy seems great. He hasn't told anyone about, you know, us either. I'm sorry I don't know him better, we only see each other at events like this and I don't think we've ever really talked. But I'll take care to do that sometime this week.”

He looks at his watch. It's not really that late, but he's so tired it could as well be three in the morning.

“Blaine? Shall we do something really rebellious?”

Blaine looks at him, somewhat surprised.

“Let's not go down again. Let's just stay up here, without saying goodnight.”

Blaine grins. “How risqué. But can we, please? I'm not sure I could persuade my legs to move again. And, well, I'm kind of embarrassed about my, as you put it, dramatic exit.”

Kurt shakes his head. “Just imagine what would have happened if you were a girl and she a man that would have been all over you like that. You would have had the whole party coming to your defense. Now it's just my Uncle Andy and us deciding we have had enough of people for today.” He sighs. "Would you believe if I told you she was comparatively mellow towards me today? I guess she changed her target, usually she is much meaner. I don't know why I let her get to me, I really don't do that. I don't know where I'd be if I had believed anything people said to me in high school."

 

They get ready for bed, and before he goes to sleep, Kurt's thoughts drift back to the hickey incident. That had been really embarrassing...but also really hot. But better not think about that too much. It really has been too long since he has had a real boyfriend. One question remains though.

“Blaine?”

“Hmm?”

“How can you forget you get turned on by having your neck kissed?”

“Shh. Sleep.”

 

The next morning, Kurt just gets out of the shower when he hears the room phone ring. He hurries getting dry and dressed, but the ringing stops; Blaine has taken the call. Dressed and toweling his hair, Kurt enters the bedroom and sees Blaine sitting on the bed with the phone against his ear.

“Yes, I'll tell him. Yes, I heard about that. I'm so sorry, Carole.”

Blaine hangs up and looks at him, then rises and awkwardly takes his hands.

“That was Carole. I'm so sorry, Kurt – your Uncle Andy passed away tonight.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!  
> This chapter contains a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to Finn's death.

Kurt sits through the funeral without feeling much apart from how much he hates funerals. He grips Blaine's hand tightly. He had warned Blaine that there was a chance that he would break down at the funeral, mostly because it might remind him of his mom's and that of his step-brother Finn, who had died eight years ago. It feels...inappropriate, somehow, to keep up their charade in the face of death, but it seemed equally absurd to come out with the truth now, so Blaine had to know he might need to play the supportive boyfriend. Besides, Kurt felt like he might need the comfort Blaine would be able to offer.

But Uncle Andy's funeral doesn't touch him like that. He feels no need to cry. The service is overly emotional in a way that borders on funny, and although Kurt feels sad, he knows that he doesn't really mourn Uncle Andy. Although he was family, they didn't really know each other. His death will have no impact on Kurt's life, he will leave no void, as awful as it sounds. Kurt feels for all those he sees around him that genuinely grieve, but he himself mostly laments the missed opportunity. It feels ironic, the way he had promised himself the day before yesterday that he would try to get to know his great-uncle, only to learn in the morning that now, he never will.

When the service is over, Kurt just wants to go back to their room, collapse on the bed and forget the last two days ever happened, but a somber looking young man stops him just outside the chapel.

“Excuse me, are you Kurt Hummel?”

“I am.”

“Yours and Mr Anderson's presence is required at the reading of the will.”

“The what?”

“The Reading of the Will.” Kurt's mind provides the capitalization because the young man sounds positively in awe about it. “It takes place in half an hour in the smaller conference room of the hotel.”

 

Kurt doesn't exactly know what he's doing in the small room with only Blaine and those of the family that were closest to Uncle Andy for company. Uncle Andy had never been married and had no children, so that's just his sister Mildred, her son and his wife, and their daughter, Linda. Kurt can feel them glare at him as he takes his seat, and for once, he understands. What is he, whose interactions with Uncle Andy have never gone beyond small talk, doing among those closest to him?

Apart from the family, there is an older man whom Kurt had noticed at the funeral, but had never seen before that. In the front sit a gray-templed man in a suit who must be the attorney, and beside him are the young man who had told Kurt to come here and an attractive, black-haired woman in a gray pantsuit. Kurt is still clutching Blaine's hand as the attorney starts talking.

“Good afternoon. We are here for the reading of the will of the recently deceased Mr. Andrew Charles Hummel. My name is Thomas Steiner, I am Mr. Hummel's attorney and the executor of his will. Next to me are my associates Mr. Greene and Miss Lopez.”

Kurt pretty much zones out after that. He still doesn't even understand why he is here, to actually listen feels too much to ask. He vaguely hears that Aunt Mildred is being left some money – like, a lot of money (and he had known that Uncle Andy was well off, but nothing like this), though apparently not as much as she expected, judging from the things she mumbles to herself. Someone else is being left a house, and the unfamiliar man inherits some things that are clearly of a sentimental value for him, because he dabs his eyes with his handkerchief. And then -

“To Mr. Kurt Hummel - “

“Wait, what?” Kurt could immediately punch himself – of course he is being left something, that is, after all, the only logical explanation for his presence here. It is interesting, though, that he is not the only one to speak up. He has clearly heard Linda shout the same incredulous words, and he can feel Aunt Mildred's glares with renewed force in his back. Mr. Steiner gives Kurt and Linda a reproachful look and clears his throat.

“To Mr. Kurt Hummel and Mr. Blaine Anderson.”

Kurt hears Blaine gasp quietly, glances at him and shrugs as the attorney continues.

“In 365 days from tomorrow on, Mr. Hummel and Mr. Anderson will receive the sum of 1.5 million dollars to be shared equally among them, if they can meet the following conditions. During this year, Mr. Hummel and Mr. Anderson will live together in a house provided by Mr. Andrew Hummel. They will keep a monogamous, committed relationship. Additionally, in the course of these 365 days, Mr. Hummel will choreograph and perform a competition routine of either Standard or Latin ballroom dancing, and Mr. Anderson will write and publish a book that does not contain sexual content of any kind. Mr. Hummel and Mr. Anderson have twenty-four hours from now on to determine whether they agree to accept these conditions and, if applicable, the inheritance. If they do agree, they will move into the house tomorrow together with my associate Miss Lopez, who has kindly agreed to act as a supervisor to see to the adherence to the conditions. They will then live together for a year, during which their keep will be paid from an account I have set up on Mr. Andrew Hummel's request. At the end of the year, if the conditions are met, the aforementioned amount of money will be disbursed to them. If they do not agree or if they fail to meet the conditions, half of the money will go to Mrs. Mildred Molesworth, née Hummel, sister to the deceased, and the other half will be donated to a charity of Mr. Andrew Hummel's choosing which will be announced if applicable.”

 

In the last few days, Kurt has often envied Blaine his aptitude to effortlessly adapt to any social surroundings, but right now, this talent seems to leave him. Blaine looks as Kurt feels, his mouth slightly open as he uncomprehendingly looks around him. Kurt feels completely stunned, and it takes a little while until he notices the small riot that breaks out in the conference room. Mr. Steiner is crowded by the rest of the party who question him indignantly, with the exception of the unfamiliar man, who is still sitting in his corner and looks like he's secretly enjoying himself. Mr. Greene looks like he's afraid for his life, which seems a slightly exaggerated reaction to the four people currently shouting at his boss, and Miss Lopez just watches the scene with a little smirk. Mr. Steiner patiently tries to answer questions, but Kurt can only understand snippets because of the shouting.

“..called me three days ago to change his will...”

“...died of completely natural causes...”

“...I can't tell you why...”

“...not advisable to appeal against...”

While Kurt can understand his relations' strong reaction up to some point, he has enough when he hears them suspecting him of murdering his uncle for his money, although he is pretty sure they would not go so far if they were thinking clearly. He and Blaine share a glance and then quietly inch their way outside. They run up to their room and close the door, finally able to breathe deeply again. Then Blaine suddenly starts laughing, and says,

“I wasn't sure up till now, but I can safely say that this is the craziest event I have ever been booked for. By far.”

Kurt has to laugh, too, although he feels slightly hysteric doing so. But while he still has difficulties wrapping his mind around what happened, he suddenly realizes they have a decision to make.

“Blaine? Do you -”

He is interrupted by a knock on the door. He shoots Blaine a slightly panicked look and goes to open, desperately hoping it is not one of the crazy relatives they just ran away from and kind of expecting to see his dad. Outside stands the attorney's associate Miss Lopez. In a demeanor that completely contradicts her businesslike appearance, she strides into the room without saying hello, and asks,

“So, gaybies and prospective future roommates, have you decided what you want to do?”


	8. Chapter 8

Kurt gives the strange woman a cold look. He doesn't appreciate being barged in on like that, not after a day like this.

“Miss...Lopez, was it?”

She unceremoniously lets herself drop down on the bed, nodding.

”Santana. But you can call me Mistress, because that will has basically made you my bitches for the next year.”

Blaine stares at her. “You are...very weird for a lawyer.”

She shifts her posture a little and suddenly looks like a picture of respectability. She looks at them.

“Let's be straight here. I know that must seem like a hopeless endeavour, but just try, okay? I may be weird. But I'm also good. And I'm completely impartial. So if you decide to do this, I expect three things from you. I want to see you spreading your fairy dust all over the house and filling it with love and rainbows. I want to see Hummel shake his booty. And I want to read a PG-rated book written by the hobbit here that is not The Hobbit. That's all. Nothing more. So kissing my ass or trying to get on my good side somehow won't work, because I don't have a good side. And I have a psychic Mexican third eye, so if you're bullshitting me somehow, I'll know.”

Kurt has to resist the urge to just stare at her open-mouthed while she is talking, and when she finishes, he has to mentally shake himself to find words.

“Could I...just talk to my... boyfriend alone for a minute, please? We haven't had time yet to even talk about what we want to do.”

And when they really want to do this, he has to stop hesitating before calling Blaine his boyfriend.

Miss Lopez – Santana – nods. “Sure. Just thought we should get to know each other before we move in together. But, you know, don't let me cockblock you – I'm leaving. See you tomorrow.”

Watching the door close, Kurt slowly shakes his head. This woman – hell, this whole day – seems too much to process. Blaine groans and falls on the bed.

“I really think the situation is appropriate for another round of nearly hysteric laughter,” he says, and Kurt admires his eloquence, because his own mind still feels unable to form a coherent sentence.

“I know, but we already did that. We need to talk; who knows when my dad hears about all of this and barges in here or how much time we have left until the Furies find us.”

“The Furies being Aunt Mildred and Linda?”

“Of course. I don't know if we really have to fear for our lives, but I'd rather stay safe.”

Kurt is only half kidding; the look on Aunt Mildred's face was really frightening. But they have to consider the real question.

“At least we know now that Uncle Andy actually heard everything we talked about in the coffeeshop.”

“Yes, but – I still don't understand. These conditions are kind of weird.”

“I think he wants us to do what we really want? If that makes sense? I mean, I don't know what he thinks us pretending to be boyfriends for a whole year will achieve, but...he basically pays you to write and me to dance. Like, really dance again, not just teach. And you to write something good, something that does not qualify for a romance novel.”

“Yes, but no sex? What kind of books are there without sex?”

“Um...children's books? Lots of other books that don't have anything explicit in it?”

“You mean those that just say 'And then they had sex”, instead of describing what goes where? I guess that could work.”

“Okay, but shouldn't we figure out if we want to do this first? The rest is just details.”

Blaine sits up and puts on a fake-serious expression. “Kurt. Do you... want to do this?”

Kurt falls over on the bed, giggling and finally dissolving something of the pressure that has been building up in him the whole day. He still manages to answer, though.

“Blaine. It's so. Much. Money!”

“So I take that as a yes?”

“The things I could do with that money, even if I only get it in a year...I could use what savings I have on at least getting started on renovating the studio – and I could renovate everything, not only the damaged rooms, so that it is not only usable, but actually pretty...Oh, I have so many plans for the place that I never thought I could actually carry out because money was always tight...”

Kurt gets serious and sits up.

“It's not only the money, though. I'm really sad I lost the chance to get to know Uncle Andy. I mean, I never thought anything about him except an old uncle – someone you see twice a year at family events, but never have anything to do with the rest of the time. And what he did with Linda the other day was so great, and he could oviously tell what we really wanted to do and thought we couldn't just from one overheard conversation – I feel like if we did what he wanted for us, we'd still have some kind of connection.”

“I understand. I felt really out of place at his funeral, like I had no right to be there, you know? And I guess that's true, but – even though he knew that I'm not really your boyfriend, he must have seen something in me to make him want to give me this. And I'm grateful for this. So, I guess what I want to say is – I'm on board.”

Kurt feels like squealing, but contends himself with grinning widely and bouncing a little. But Blaine isn't finished talking.

“But I think we have to realize what we are doing here. It's not going to be easy, I mean apart from that whole writing thing which I'm not sure how to do yet. We are talking about keeping up the thing that we're doing for a year. We'll have to pretend for one year, and that Santana, she seems really perceptive. I think she's suspecting something even now, and I thought we were really good.”

Kurt nods. “Me too. And I guess we might have to kick it up a notch, but I'm at a loss at how to do it. I mean, we slow danced, we did the tango, we walked hand in hand, you kissed my cheek. You have a fucking hickey, for God's sake. What more are we supposed to do?”

“I think we should at first try to be that couple, you know, that seem like they have a ridiculously good sex life but is not much one for PDA.”

“How do you seem like you have a ridiculously good sex life?”

“Leave me my little fantasy. Anyway, if that doesn't work, if she gets suspicious because we never kiss or something...well, I guess I could stand to kiss you once in a while.”

”Oh, thank you very much.”

“No, I mean it. I mean I don't usually kiss my clients. But, and excuse me if I'm overstepping here, I feel like we could be friends. And I could kiss a friend. You know, if necessary.”

“Well, I guess kissing is better then the idea I had of making fake sex noises in our bedroom at night.”

“Um...yes. Let's save that as a last resort.”

Then Kurt realizes something and sits up in panic.

“Oh my God, I can't stay away from the studio for a whole year! I just can't let Brittany and Mike do everything alone. I mean, they're great dancers, but if I let Brittany do the accounts, we'd be broke in no time.”

He begins pacing the room, trying to find a solution.

“Kurt, relax! You can do the accounts from here and send them. And when you start renovating, the studio will be closed anyway for some time, won't it? And no one says you can't fly in from time to time. We have to live in Ohio for a year, which I guess is bad enough, but we're not prisoners. I'm sure we're allowed to leave sometimes.”

Kurt nods hesitantly. He is not happy to leave the studio for so long, and he had planned to personally supervise the renovations, but it can't be helped.

“I guess that could work. I just have to make a very detailed outline for the renovations, and I'll probably call so often Mike and Brittany will hate me, but I'll make it work.”

 

The next day, they call the attorney to accept, and Santana comes to their room with a contract. The signing feels oddly formal, like they're committing to something far more serious. Then Santana says,

“Let's make it official. Seal it with a kiss.”

Hesitantly, they lean in to kiss her cheek, but she pulls away.

“Not me, you morons! I've had all the boy kisses I want for my whole life. You kiss, each other.”

They look at each other and shrug.


	9. Chapter 9

It can't be just a peck, Kurt knows that. For some reason, Santana is suspicious; she requested the kiss as a proof that they are together, that they have kissed hundreds of times. He can see Blaine knows that, too. But as soon as he leans in for the kiss, he feels that this is dangerous – he could easily be drawn in again and he has no desire to repeat the hickey incident, although the stirring feeling in his belly that wakes at the memory may tell him otherwise. So he vows to be careful.

But then Blaine's lower lip is between his own, and he can't resist sucking on it just a little bit, and he feels Blaine's hand on the back of his neck tighten and draw them nearer together. His own mouth opens just a little more in response, but then, with difficulty, he pulls away, and for a second, Blaine and him just stare at each other as they catch their breath. Luckily, Santana is busy putting away her pen and her part of the contract; if Kurt's face shows only a little of the mixture of breathlessness, excitement, exhilaration and doubt that he feels, there is no way she would buy this as one kiss of many. She looks up again just as they manage to break the look, and apart from the kiss, she doesn't seem to have witnessed anything.

“That was hardly the hottest makeout I've ever seen, but I guess it will have to do. Get packing, guys, I'll see you tomorrow.”

Kurt and Blaine carefully do not look each other as they pack the things they won't need tonight or tomorrow back into their bags.

Eventually, Kurt says, “I guess we should go talk to my dad. I haven't seen him since the funeral, I don't even know if he knows about all this.”

Blaine nods and carelessly stuffs the last polo into his bag, while Kurt watches disapprovingly. As they leave their room, Blaine nudges Kurt with his shoulder.

“So I guess I really can kiss you. Just like I said.”

Kurt grins, surprised – but why make things awkward if they don't have to be?

“Yes, I guess you can.”

 

His dad has, in fact, heard nothing but rumors about the whole inheritance thing, and is a little angry that Kurt hasn't come to him sooner. But Kurt is able to calm him down quickly, and he is really glad he and Blaine have made up their minds without consulting anyone. Burt makes objections that may be reasonable, but offer no help for their real situation, but Kurt can hardly blame him because he just doesn't know their real situation.

“You sure you know what you're doing?”

“Not—entirely, but I think we have this down. We talked about it, dad, for a long time, and we figured out what to do about the studio and Blaine's job and our apartments and everything.”

“Yes, but – you'll be living together. That's a big deal, something that challenges every relationship, and you haven't been together that long. You sure you can handle that?”

“You mean we'll break up because Blaine won't put away his things properly? - Don't look at me like that, I've seen the way you stuffed that shirt into your bag, and that's no way to treat clothes!”

Burt looks at him with an I-told-you-so-expression, and then at Blaine, who watches them and tries not to laugh.

“From what I see, and what I experienced from living with you, more because you'll nag Blaine about putting away his stuff until he can't stand it anymore. But yes. It's the little things, Kurt. You fight about clothes and money and whose turn it is to put the garbage out and who forgot to get groceries and whatnot, and you forget the big picture. The reason why you're in that house together in the first place.”

“Well, in our case it's because we'll be paid very handsomely to do so, but I get what you're meaning. And I do not nag.”

“Mr. Hummel,” Blaine says, “At home, I stay at Kurt's place all the time. We have both experienced a little of what it means to live with each other. I know it's not going to be easy, but we're good communicators. We'll compromise. We'll house-train each other.”

Burt looks at them doubtfully for another minute, but then chuckles.

“At least I know now why Mildred is so furious. The way she looked as she stormed into the lobby yesterday, she was ready to start a war.”

Kurt's smile is a little uneasy; he doesn't exactly want to know what Aunt Mildred's 'war' is going to look like. But he is glad that his dad's doubts about the whole thing seem to have evaporated, even if they were completely misplaced. After all, they don't need to worry about breaking up when there's nothing there to break up, do they?

The conversation turns to logistics then. They move tomorrow, which leaves them very little time to prepare something now. They will take the things they had packed for this week with them, and next weekend, they plan to fly to New York to get the other things they need; until then, they will just have to do a lot of laundry. Then, Blaine will put his furniture in storage and give up his apartment. He had wanted to look for another anyway, and there is no use in keeping it empty the whole year. Kurt, on the other hand, plans to keep his. He can easily afford the rent now, he reasons, and he plans to go to New York fairly often to look after the studio, so it will be useful then. Besides, he loves his place, and there's no way he'll be so lucky again in rent and situation if he has to look for something new next year. Burt and Carole listen to them outlining their plans and offer the occasional advice, but seem satisfied they got this. Then Burt smiles.

“At least, Columbus is much nearer then New York. We'll be able to see you more often. We'll come visit!”

Kurt smiles and hopes it looks happy, in love and everything else instead of forced like it really is. Because while he likes seeing his dad and often misses him, the promised visits do not make his job any easier. It is bad enough that Santana will live with them, but she doesn't know them. She doesn't know if he likes PDA or rather keeps everything behind closed doors, she doesn't know how much of a romantic he is. She doesn't know anything about Blaine, either (neither does he, for that matter). But his dad? No one knows him so well. They'll really have to up their game if they want to fool him for any amount of time when he isn't distracted by other things and just there to observe their relationship. And playing boyfriends under parental supervision is not something Kurt looks forward to.

When they sit at dinner, alone again and at least for the moment safe from supervision, assumptions and well-meant advice, Kurt thinks of something.

“What are you going to tell your parents? And your friends?”

Blaine stops the fork halfway to his mouth.

“I haven't even thought about that.” He eats the bite of pasta and chews slowly, thinking. “I think...I'd like to tell my parents the same we told yours, if that's okay. After all, the less people know the truth, the better, right? We might have to visit them at some point, and I'll probably get some backlash for not telling them I have a boyfriend, but that's better then explaining everything, at least for me. Friends...is another matter. Those I'm close with know I'm single, I don't know how...what do you want to tell your friends?”

“I have no idea. This has gotten much bigger than I expected, obviously. Rachel knows, she's my best friend, she was involved in the planning of the whole thing. But she swore she won't tell. Everyone else...I'll have to tell Mike and Brittany that I'm away for the next year, and I guess I could just casually mention a boyfriend, that might work with them. Otherwise....oh my God, what do I tell Mercedes?....I don't know?”

“Oh, I have an idea. We could – do you have a facebook? We should just change our relationship status there, and most of what people have to say will go over there. We won't have to explain anything in person, and we have some more time to decide what to do, at least.”

It's a good idea, Kurt decides. It won't really solve anything, but it'll give them time, and he hopes his relationship status is perhaps not so interesting to most people.

“So you want to go facebook official, do you, Mr. Anderson? So early in our relationship?” he teases.

Blaine laughs, then ducks his head bashfully and flutters his eyelashes in probably the most ridiculous way possible. “It would be my honor, Mr. Hummel.”


	10. Chapter 10

So Kurt changes his status on Facebook to “In a relationship with Blaine Anderson” - and it feels like a betrayal.

“This is weird,” he says after closing his laptop. “It feels real, somehow, even to me. Like you couldn't confirm a fake relationship on Facebook.”

It's not all he's feeling about this, but he can't put it in words, and also it's ridiculous. It's only Facebook after all, not marriage.

“It could be worse though,” Blaine says, who was doing the same on his own Facebook. “I mean at least we're actually kind of friends. I couldn't imagine doing this with someone I didn't like. I'd probably do it anyway, but it is much easier this way.”

“I am so flattered!” Kurt says,throwing his arm across his forehead and pretending to swoon. Blaine hits him in the head with a pillow, and Kurt only takes the time to put his laptop safely to the floor before he retaliates.

Blaine is right. This is by no means an ideal situation, but it could be so much worse.

 

It definitely can, Kurt thinks as they enter the house they are going to live in for the next year. It is large, roomy enough for him, Blaine and Santana to live comfortably in without standing on each other's toes. Blaine and him could even have separate bedrooms. They won't, of course, as they have to keep up appearances in front of Santana, but it is nice to know nonetheless. There's a backyard with a porch that will be nice to sit on in summer.

But it is also old. Kurt recalls that it belonged to Uncle Andy's mother – Kurt's great-grandmother – and was almost never lived in after she got married. It has lots of dark oak furniture that is covered with lace doilies and kitschy knick knack on every available surface, and it has that distinctive dusty smell that very old houses tend to have. Luckily, it has at least modern technical equipment, the kitchen furnished with dishwasher and microwave, the living room with a TV, blue ray player and, they were told, even wifi. Still. How is he supposed to live for a year in this lace-covered abomination? Without being allowed to renovate? Blaine seems to get the meaning of his facial expression.

“Relax,” he says. “We'll make the best out of it.”

“But what's the best? We can't exactly change the furniture....or anything, really,” Kurt whines.

“Well, we can at least get rid of these...atrocities.” Santana picks up one of the lace doilies with the tips of two fingers, holding it far away from her body. Kurt appreciates the drama of the gesture as well as the sentiment behind it, and he slowly warms up to the idea of living with Santana. They fight for the best bedroom, and of course Blaine and Kurt lose, but they quickly resign to their fate and are actually pretty happy with their room once they have changed the bedsheets to something that looks and, more importantly, smells like something they would want to sleep in. They take a garbage bag and put in all of the lace doilies and knick knacks and carry it, along with some dusty fake plants a horrified Kurt had discovered earlier, into the basement, where it will stay. They air all the rooms and Kurt makes plans to buy either febreze or some scented candles or both to banish the last of the smell.

The house is far in the suburbs of Columbus, in an area so.....tranquil it might as well be a village in the middle of nowhere. The three of them go for a walk after settling in and see they will have a lot of time to work on their projects and probably also watch a lot of movies in the next year.

“I can't believe that after all I've done to go to New York I'm now back in Ohio, in a place where the biggest public institution is a phone box!” Kurt exclaims as he takes in some old houses, a very small artificial lake with two lonely ducks and a faint smell of cows. Blaine takes his hand and drags him to a little info box on the sidewalk.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Oh, you will love this, you must look at this. You too, Santana!”

Kurt takes a few seconds to watch Blaine, who is practically bouncing with excitement, and then peruses the info box. He doesn't see anything interesting until Santana's perfectly manicured nail points to a simple piece of paper.

“No way. They listed the grocery store as a landmark?”

Blaine is bent over with laughing at their aghast faces. “Want to go sightseeing? We need milk.”

Kurt huffs at him. It is true, though. They really need milk and a few other things, so they might as well see this 'landmark'.

But Santana turns towards them and says, “You go shopping, I go nap. All this boringness around here is tiring. And I really need to email my boss about getting a raise, this does not at all live up to my expectations. I thought I'd be in Columbus, watching you two get your mack on, and now I'm here at the end of the world and you're not even holding hands....Wait a minute. Why are you not holding hands?”

The truth is, they just forgot, but they can't very well tell that to Santana. As Kurt scrambles for an answer, Blaine is more levelheaded.

“Because we're in suburban Ohio, Santana. You know what happens to two guys who hold hands in suburban Ohio?”

They have been catching glances enough as it is. For such a quiet town, there are surprisingly many people around, and they are very obviously not from here, and their clothes – while nothing out of the ordinary for New York, they are almost flamboyant compared to those of the people around. Kurt is stunned that he hasn't thought about this at all – apparently, in his years in New York, he has learned to stop being so self conscious; he now wears his clothes out of love, not defiance. But judging from the way Blaine's jaw is set and the cutting edge in his voice, the reason he has given Santana is the real one for him. Kurt feels slightly ashamed without really knowing the reason.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, he groans and says, “Let's go, I'm getting flashbacks here. The sheer amount of denim and plaid sears my eyes.”

 

They fly to New York on Friday evening, Blaine and Kurt holding hands on the plane under the watchful eyes of Santana, who has apparently decided they need a chaperone 24/7 and has insisted on accompanying them. Kurt is unreasonably happy to be back in his apartment and takes pride in Blaine's appreciative remarks as he shows them around. Santana sleeps on the fold-out in the living room, Blaine – of course – in Kurt's bed.

In the morning, they go visit the studio. Kurt is excited – the studio is his baby, his pride and joy, and he is all too well aware that it is not at its best right now, what with the damaged hardwood floor and the peeling wallpaper with water stains on it. Somehow, Blaine's opinion has become important to him, and even Santana's, though her remarks are cutting at best, no matter about what.

But when they enter the studio, they hear music, and it the big hall, they can see Brittany and Mike dancing, Brittany's leg wrapped around Mike's waist while her other foot is barely touching the floor, her entire body stretched as Mike drags her along the dance floor.

Kurt whispers; he doesn't want to disturb them. “And this is how a real tango looks like.”

Blaine looks slightly uncomfortable. “You mean I should have done that...with my leg?”

Kurt smiles. “No, that's very advanced. And it only looks good in a dress and heels.” He resists the urge to pat Blaine's head, he looks like a sad puppy. “Our tango was beautiful. Although, can you imagine what my relatives would have said if we had done that?”

He is interrupted by Santana clutching his shoulder. She looks stunned.

“Are you alright? Santana?”

She clears her throat and lets go of Kurt's shoulder. “Are they....are they a couple?”

“Mike and Brittany? No. Mike's married, though.”

“I'm not interested in _him_. I mean, not that I'm...oh fuck it. She is so pretty. Do you know how...if...?”

Kurt has never seen her so flustered. “If she might be interested? I honestly have no idea.”

Mike ansd Brittany are still dancing. Brittany has both feet on the floor now, and Mike leads her into one turn after another. But although her body goes with him, her head stays turned in one direction – Santana's.

“Though the way she looks at you, I'd say you're good.”


	11. Chapter 11

They don't see much of Brittany and Santana after that. Blaine goes home to start packing, and Kurt promises to come by and help later after he and Mike have discussed his absence.

“So, boyfriend?” Mike says as they withdraw to the office.

“Yeah, it's kind of...a new development.”

“I've never seen him before.”

“No, it's...like I said. New.”

Kurt summarizes their situation and why he has to be in Ohio for the next year, and then asks,

“How would you feel about taking a few months off, too? We can finally afford to renovate, and I think we could just as well close for the time it takes. Maybe we could time it so that you can stay home when the baby arrives? You'd only have to come in every now and then to check on the works, and you could take turns with Brittany and with me when I'm around.”

“Wow, that...actually, that would be great. Tina and I have been wondering how we'd manage, and that makes some things easier. But honestly, in the time we're open...don't worry. We'll miss you, but Brit and I'll manage.”

Kurt leaves the studio with a lot less on his mind. He gets lost once on the way to Blaine's apartment, but comes across a coffee shop and decides he might as well use the detour to get them coffee. When he arrives, Blaine receives him with a hug and buries his face in his shoulder, before banging his forehead on it a few times. Kurt looks around, but there is no one there for whom Blaine would have to play his role.

“Um...Blaine? Everything okay?”

“She tortured me!”

“...That doesn't really clarify anything.”

Blaine sighs dramatically and sinks down on the sofa. The small room is a mess; boxes and bags full of clothes and personal things stand around, and Kurt can see at least three sacks that seem to be filled with things to be thrown away.

“I ran into Santana on the way here,” Blaine continues. “And although she was completely busy making gooey eyes at your lovely dance instructor, she managed to ask the most awkward questions about our relationship. She really seems to suspect something, I don't know how. I think I managed to talk her around but...I may have told her I planned to propose after the year is over.”

“Blaine! She thinks we have been together for three months! You must have looked like a crazy person!”

“Yeah well, I was desperate. I swear, she's like the Inquisition!”

“Poor baby,” Kurt coos, patting Blaine's head. Although the sarcasm is clearly intended, he honestly admires Blaine for being able to handle those questions about their relationship status, and from Santana, who is scary in her own right. He knows that had he been the one being asked, there would have been a lot of blushing and stuttering involved, which probably wouldn't help their case.

When they go back to packing, Blaine says,

“By the way, I'd like to stay at my place tonight, if that's okay?”

“Sure. But what do I tell Santana? If she comes home,” Kurt adds as an afterthought. The way her and Brittany had hit it off, that isn't at all certain.

“I already told her. I said I wanted to say goodbye to my place, and that it would be more practical with all the packing we have to do. But actually, I want to...I'm meeting someone before I start my ascent into monogamy.”

Something suddenly occurs to Kurt. “Blaine, you're not...dating anyone, are you? I'm sorry, I never asked, I just assumed - “

“No!, No, I'm single. The guy I'm meeting tonight, he and I – we have an arrangement. If you know what I mean.”

“No., I don't. You're being too subtle.” Kurt employs the trusted method of using sarcasm to suppress the irrational bolt of jealousy he feels. Blaine can do whatever he wants. At least, for today.

“Just – today is fine, but we should probably not do that for the next year. Too risky.”

“I know. This is a farewell today. Though no sex for a year is going to be hard. Pun intended.”

Kurt looks around for something not too hard he can throw at Blaine, when a phone rings. Blaine takes his phone out of his pocket, looks at the caller ID and groans.

“It's my mom. I forgot to call her, she must have found out over Facebook. I'm so dead. Please take care of my remains.”

Apparently, Blaine is a phone-pacer. Kurt keeps packing as he catches bits of information because Blaine walks from room to room, defending himself to his mother.

“Yes...I'm sorry...I forgot...No, I didn't....Yes....moving...Columbus...Next Sunday...yes...that should work.”

Blaine ends the call and tosses his phone on the couch. “Next Sunday, we're going to brunch at my parents'.”

Kurt leaves soon after, not wanting to accidentally run into Blaine's 'friend.' He looks forward to one last evening alone, at least until Santana arrives – if she does - in his stylish, not-weird-smelling apartment, with food, coffee and a television program of his own choosing.

Santana walks in at about eleven, and though she asks about his 'boy toy', she is surprisingly mellow and quiet. When he asks about Brittany, she answers,

“Let's just say I will probably accompany you whenever you go to New York again. And when I do, you won't see much of me.”

He is happy for her. He doesn't know her well yet, and he doesn't know Brittany as much as he would like to and probably should, but he is happy for them both.

It is weird how fast he got accustomed to sharing his bed with Blaine. He feels strange now, going to bed alone, forcing himself to change in the bedroom instead of the bath, and actually leaving 'Blaine's side' free before he remembers and spread-eagles himself all over the bed just because he can. He doesn't exactly miss Blaine, although he feels weird lying here in his chaste bed while Blaine probably has wild sex in his apartment across town. Blaine is not a bad bedfellow, though. He doesn't hog the covers and doesn't snore obnoxiously, only sniffles occasionally. Still, it's nice to have the bed all to himself again, and he relishes in the feeling, knowing that it's the last time he can do so for the next 365 nights

 

. Living together with people has its upsides. Kurt knows that; in spite of all her drama, he has most of the time enjoyed living with Rachel. It is not so different with Blaine and Santana. The drama's still there, and so is the fun, although it is often a very different kind of fun than the quiet musical sing – along nights he had with Rachel. On the first night after they get back from New York, Santana gets drunk on Margaritas and ransacks their bedroom in search of sex toys. Kurt and Blaine both frantically try to get her to stop, but the look on her face when she triumphantly digs out a shoebox from under the bed and opens it to find a porcelain doll that has probably belonged to Kurt's great-grandmother is priceless. Not quite sober themselves, Kurt and Blaine almost fall over from laughing, and Kurt places the doll on the mantel as a constant reminder to Santana not to meddle in other people's business.

Living together with people has its downsides, too. That as well he knows from living with Rachel, although that mostly consisted of early morning vocal warm ups and diva fits in which she would refuse to talk in order to save her voice. The particular kind of downside he's currently experiencing was unknown to him until two nights ago, when he first woke from shuffling sounds and muffled gasps from the other side of the bed. It's the third night in a row he's lying awake and trying not to listen to Blaine masturbating beside him, tired, very much annoyed and weirdly aroused but unable to do something about it. And it's just Friday, the end of their first full week in Ohio. If this goes on for much longer, he will be sexually frustrated with bags under his eyes large enough to step on by the end of the first month, and he won't take it any more.

“Blaine.”

The shuffling noise stops, but Blaine doesn't answer. In fact, he seems to be holding his breath and doing his best not to be there.

“I know you're not sleeping, and I know what you've been doing. I don't know what has you so...needy after you've just had sex last weekend, but could you please, for both our sanity, save that for the shower?”


	12. Chapter 12

Kurt switches on the lamp on the bedside table and turns to face Blaine, who groans and buries his face in the pillow. He does this as much to avoid the sudden light as out of embarrassment, Kurt guesses, because when he can see Blaine's face for a second, it is bright red.

“Cn wptnd tnv hp?” Blaine asks into the pillow.

“I'm sorry – what?”

Blaine lifts his head just enough Kurt can hear him this time. “Can we please pretend that never happened?”

“In a minute, I promise. And I'd never have...interrupted you so rudely, it's just...it's weird, and I can't sleep, and why can't you use the shower for that like a normal person?”

Blaine turns to lie on his back again, but lets his arm rest on his face and doesn't look at Kurt. “The drains are old. They'll clog.”

“You're talking so much crap right now, Blaine.”

Blaine sighs. “Because every evening I tell myself I won't, and then, when we're in bed, I somehow...do. And don't ask why I do any of that. In fact, don't ask anything. I'll keep what is left of my dignity by not telling you anything else.”

Kurt is curious now, of course, but he can hardly force Blaine to talk. He is nearly asleep when Blaine speaks again.

“I didn't, you know. Have sex last weekend.”

“What? Why not?”

“I don't know. It somehow didn't come up.”

Kurt just looks at Blaine with one eyebrow raised. The gesture isn't quite as impressive when he's lying down, but it will have to do. After a second, Blaine realizes and nearly laughs.

“Not in that way! Everything functions quite well, thank you. We just...he came over, we had pizza, we played Mario Kart, he went home. We didn't even think about it. Only when I went to bed I realized that we had had more plans.”

“You played Mario Kart.”

“I am allowed to play Mario Kart.”

“Of course you are. Did you pack your xbox? Because I'm so gonna kick your ass.”

 

Brunch with Blaine's parents is awkward, but delicious. Actually, it is some of the best food Kurt has ever eaten in his life, and he doesn't understand how Blaine isn't the size of a small whale when he was growing up with that kind of food. (Blaine tell him later. “It's because we had that kind of food perhaps twice a year. My mother's a chef, she never cooks at home. Only for very special occasions, Thanksgiving, sometimes Christmas, some birthdays. Today. So, feel honored.” Kurt is glad he didn't know this beforehand, he would have felt even more intimidated.)

There is no need for that, though. Blaine's parents are very friendly and no less than enthusiastic about Blaine finally bringing someone home, although they good-naturedly berate him all through the meal for his secrecy about him. Kurt feels welcome and immediately guilty that they made such an effort when everything is, after all, only a lie.

One member of the Anderson family seems to recognize him as a fraud. The cat _hates_ him. She is called Lucy and Blaine loves her, but when Kurt bends down to pet her, she gives him a haughty look that could rival his own, and walks away. When they sit down to eat, the cat is perched innocently on the windowsill, but halfway through the meal, she jumps and tries to land on Kurt's shoulder, but misses, and tries to prevent her falling by clawing into Kurt's back as she slowly slides down. Kurt mentally renames her 'Lucifer' as he inspects the rips in one of his favorite shirts and the three long scratches on his right shoulder. Blaine's mom and dad are all apologies, offers are made for disinfectants and band aids and to replace the shirt, but Blaine, while he like a good boyfriend offers to kiss the scratches better, seems to have some kind of idea to use this for something. Kurt is puzzled, but Blaine tells him on the trip back to their home.

“We have to find a way to let Santana see you shirtless.”

“That is something I have been trying to avoid.” He likes to keep some kind of privacy, and he has little enough of that while living with two roommates. It isn't an arrangement that allows much privacy, especially if one of the roommates is Santana, who seems to be naturally invasive.

“I know, but...remember what we used to talk about, how we would seem like we had a ridiculously good sex life? This is our chance!”

“Oooh...you mean you scratched me during sex?”

“Exactly.”

Kurt laughs. He likes the suggestion. “We're kinky, aren't we?”

“You bet we are.”

 

Up to now, in the evenings they had not spent unpacking, they had mostly watched movies with Santana. While it had been easy to agree on a movie, finding a Santana-approved watching position had been harder. On the first evening they spent that way, Kurt and Blaine had, completely out of habit, sat down on opposite sides of the sofa. They were still sitting fairly close together, as the sofa isn't that big, but Santana had watched them with a suspicious look on her face that Kurt had thankfully noticed soon. He had scooted down a bit into a half lying position and had placed his feet in Blaine's lap. Since then, they take care to always cuddle in some way. Either Kurt has his feet in Blaine's lap, or Blaine lays his head in Kurt's, which Kurt only allows when he has showered beforehand and washed the gel out of his hair. It's nice, somehow. Too nice, for when he has Blaine's head in his lap, Kurt can never resist carding his fingers through the gel-free curls, and when he does that, he can feel Blaine relaxing. His eyes fall closed from pleasure, and more often than not, he falls asleep. And when Kurt has his feet in Blaine's lap, most of the time Blaine unconsciously starts giving him a foot massage that makes Kurt want to close his eyes and moan in pleasure. Sometimes he does, and then he can sometimes feel something stirring against his foot and has to find an excuse to move his legs away.

Because this is dangerous. He can't let this go too far, this weird friendship they have that so often strays into flirtation and that by necessity crosses a lot of boundaries. Kurt is aware of his attraction to Blaine, and he doesn't think that he is alone in this, but they have to take care. This is a business arrangement, nothing more, no matter how real it sometimes feels.

So, on Monday evening, with the scratches on his shoulder still a bright red, he comes into the living room with only his pants on. This is his chance to prove their relationship to Santana without establishing even more physical contact with Blaine, and he will take it. So, as he rummages in one of the boxes that still stand along the walls of the living room, he gives Santana a good view of his naked back, and he knows she has seen the scratches when she gives a long whistle.

“Man, Hummel, either you were attacked by a lion or the Hobbit needs a manicure. Wanky!” she says with a smirk, and Blaine seems to hear it, for he comes out of the bedroom with an apologetic look on his face. Kurt tries not to stare, for apparently Blaine hasn't gotten around to putting on a shirt yet, and then Blaine comes up to him and hugs him from behind, pressing his naked chest to Kurt's naked back. “Aww babe, I'm sorry for that,” Blaine says, and Kurt can feel him gently blowing on the scratches and then press his lips to his shoulder.

Kurt shivers. So much for no more physical contact.

 

When they go to bed, Blaine leaves the small light on.

“Do you remember when you caught me....you know?” he asks quietly.

Kurt knocks his pillow into shape, as far away from Blaine as the bed allows, but, he hopes, without being too obvious about it. “I thought we wanted to forget that ever happened?”

“Yes, but I want to tell you something.” Then he is quiet for a long time.

“Blaine?” Kurt asks finally.

“The reason I told myself I wouldn't and then still did...is you.”


	13. Chapter 13

“What do you mean, because of me?”

Blaine sits up a little, buries his face in his hands for a moment, and then straightens his shoulders, his entire posture full of determination.

“Okay. I'm...really putting myself out there right now, so you have to be patient with me. And not interrupt. Last weekend, when my friend came over? He wanted to have sex, but I didn't. I mean, I wanted to initially, but then I couldn't go through with it, because I kept thinking about you. It's like I see myself as your boyfriend, and it felt like I would be cheating on you, you know? So we didn't.”

Blaine talks increasingly fast, like he fears he won't go through with it if he doesn't get it out soon.

“And I didn't use the shower to....jerk off because when I did, it inevitably ended with thinking about you. Doing it to....images of you. Mostly the hickey, but other things, too. So then I felt guilty about it and told myself I wouldn't and then we'd be in bed together and it's been quite a long time for me and like I told you, you're hot. And my imagination went places and then it kind of...just happened.”

Blaine is quiet for some time after that, but Kurt can sense he's not finished. He wouldn't know what to say anyway, he's so stunned, so he stays silent.

“I guess what I want to say, why I'm telling you all this, is that I'm very much attracted to you. And I like you, a lot, and I...I want to ask you to make this real. To try. Us.”

At last, Blaine turns to look at Kurt, his face open and hopeful. Kurt stares at him. He doesn't know what to say, he doesn't know what he feels, what he wants, but what comes out of his mouth is,

“No. No, Blaine, I can't. I would, I really would, you must know that, but we...we could lose so much. If we try this and it goes wrong...it's too risky.”

Kurt can see Blaine closing up again, his face going distant, and he doesn't want this, but he doesn't know how to stop it. There's nothing else he can say, so he waits, and after a while Blaine nods slowly.

“You're right. It was a stupid idea.”

Blaine turns off the light and lies down, facing the wall.

“Blaine, no,” Kurt whispers. “Please don't do that.”

But Blaine doesn't answer. It's a long time until Kurt can sleep.

 

When Kurt wakes, Blaine is already up, and Kurt's heart sinks when he comes out after his shower and sees Santana at the breakfast table, eating cereal, alone.

“Um, Blaine?” he asks. “Is he...?”

He doesn't even know what he wants to ask, but is saved by Santana indicating one of the spare rooms with her spoon.

“The Hobbit's in there, with his laptop, working on the Great American Novel. Not to be disturbed, he says.” She cocks her head, giving him a calculating look. “Trouble in paradise?”

“Just...just a fight. Nothing big. He'll come around,” Kurt answers, so relieved he feels his knees go weak and he has to sit down, although further conversation with Santana is the last thing he wants. He's not sure if Blaine will really 'come around', like he told Santana, but for a moment he had thought Blaine had left, for good. That by trying not to let get things too complicated, he had already fucked up everything completely.

He only sees Blaine occasionally coming out of his newly-appointed study, on his way to the kitchen or the bathroom. They don't talk, and Kurt doesn't know how to fix this. He isn't sure what he's feeling, his emotions are having their own heated fight in his head and in his heart. What he's sure was the right decision rationally doesn't seem so at all when he listens to his heart, and when it tells him to just go for it, his head chimes in with too many 'buts' to be counted. Additionally, he is angry at Blaine. It doesn't seem fair that he can ask him for a decision and then act like a petulant child when he doesn't like the result, although Kurt has only done what he thinks best. What he thought best last night, which somehow seems very long ago.

He doesn't know what he wants. He is so confused. But he knows he feels miserable when Blaine won't meet his eyes, or when he goes to bed and sees Blaine already under the covers, turned away from him, feigning sleep.

 

When Kurt wakes in the morning, he is alone again, but when he enters the kitchen, Blaine is there and greets him with a kiss on the cheek and a smile. At least Kurt hopes that Santana accepts it as a smile, because he can see it's fake. During breakfast, Blaine sometimes puts his arm around him or lays his head upon his shoulder for a moment, and Kurt somehow finds comfort in these touches, even though he knows they're only for show. And really, as soon as Santana leaves, Blaine's arms drop and the smile disappears.

“Blaine, please, won't you talk to me?”

Blaine shakes his head. “I said what I had to say, you said what you had to say. There's nothing to talk about.”

Then he grabs his coffee and disappears into his study.

So apparently there's no chance to talk to Blaine today. Kurt decides to follow Blaine's example and do something productive. After all, there are other things they have to do besides maintain their 'relationship', and as that doesn't seem to work so well at the moment, Kurt may as well do something else. So he takes his coffee and his notepad and sits down to start choreographing. Mike told him that Brittany and him are planning to do a Standard competition routine, which means that he will have to do Latin. It's not ideal, Standard is more in his comfort zone, but he can dance anything if he must. Besides, he has a whole year to prepare, and the will doesn't state he has to win the competition, or even place. He manages to distract himself for a few hours from his problems with Blaine while he determines figures and segue steps he wants to use in the five dances he has to choreograph. He makes plans to clear out the entry hall to have a rehearsal space when he thinks of something: he doesn't have a partner. He could ask Rachel, he has used her before for performances. Although dancing isn't her forté, she has experience, and their height difference makes for a nice picture. But it would be too much of a hassle to have her fly in all the time to rehearse, and anyway, she's busy. She is also chatty, and the risk of her letting something slip in front of their 'supervisor' is too high. But speaking of said supervisor...he has no idea if Santana would be allowed, willing and able to help him, but he figures asking her can't hurt. Her job is to see if they fulfill the conditions, so he thinks her actively helping him to do so might be in some moral gray zone, but maybe they could ask her boss. She had mentioned having been a cheerleader in high school, so at least she should be able to learn the routine and have some inherent control over her movements. As for willing...well, he probably will have to bribe her.

So, when she comes back from wherever she's been, he calls.

“Santana? Do you know how to dance?”

She does, as it turns out. She is willing to help after he shows her the costumes female Latin dancers usually wear and promises she could keep the dress and shoes, and she even calls her boss herself. Apparently her helping them is not a problem, Uncle Andy requested that they receive any assistance they want that does not consist of anyone else doing the things they are supposed to do themselves.

So now, Kurt has a partner. Over the next few days, he refines the step sequences, chooses the music and spends hours on the internet, looking at pictures and arguing over costumes with Santana. They clear out the entry hall and even get Blaine to come out of the study for a few hours to help. He does so with a smile and a few affectionate touches, but Kurt feels that everything is just as wrong as it was, although it has been days. Blaine still refuses to talk to him, and Kurt is nothing if not stubborn. He can play this game as long as Blaine.

But still, when he lies in bed at night and can hear from Blaine's breathing that he isn't asleep either, he misses him. More than he could have thought possible, he misses Blaine, their easy friendship, the laughter. Blaine touching him, the little gestures that were so nice when they were real but now feel like a slap in the face. He still doesn't know what he wants, he won't tell Blaine, If you still want me, what the hell, let's go for it. He is still angry. But on the other hand, he doesn't know how it could get any worse than this, whatever happens. So, after nine days of silence, hurt glances and fake smiles (and really, it's a miracle Santana hasn't called them out on it), he breaks the unspoken rule and walks into Blaine's study.

“If you don't talk to me now, I'll call the attorney, declare myself a liar and give the whole thing up.”


	14. Chapter 14

Slöwly, Blaine turns his chair to face him.

“So talk.”

Suddenly Kurt is at a loss for words.

“I just...I don't understand....why do you act like this? Not talking to me, sitting in your room all day? If you keep this up, I won't have to say anything because the whole thing will blow up anyway!”

“That's all you care about, isn't it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“This...here. Whatever this is. You only care for the money, don't you? It's the only thing that matters to you. I just don't...You're giving up love for money!”

“We've known each other for three weeks, Blaine. I don't think you can really call it love.”

“Fine. Then the chance for love. I just...never pegged you for...materialistic.”

“I'm not....I don't think you understand. I'll admit it was somewhat premature and rash, but everything was going so well, and I really wanted to get this done, so I ordered the renovations. I made a partial payment, a big one, and next week, the studio will close for three months. My savings are nearly gone. If I don't get that money at the end of the year, I'm pretty much broke. So it's not that I'm materialistic, it's just that I'm plain scared!”

Kurt feels terribly stupid when he says this. He hasn't told anyone, he had known it was careless, but he had just been so excited he couldn't wait any longer. And now he feels like everything is falling to pieces around him.

“Okay,” Blaine says. “Okay. But could we just...I'm not saying I'm not going to try, because I am, no matter what you say, but...it was hard for me, telling you that. And I don't think I can pretend nothing happened, go on like before, act like I don't want you when I do, even if you don't...”

“You think I don't want you?” He must have been a better actor than he thought possible. “God, Blaine...”

Suddenly, he doesn't know how, he is kissing Blaine, awkwardly bending over the chair Blaine is sitting on. The kiss is messy, with more tongue and teeth than finesse, but Blaine kisses back with equal enthusiasm. Blaine's hands find their way into his hair and draw him near, and Kurt ends up nearly straddling Blaine in order not to fall, but he doesn't care. They kiss until their lips hurt, pausing occasionally to draw a quick, panting breath.

 

The doorbell rings. Reluctantly, they draw apart, laughing a little because this is really the worst timing, and Kurt places another small kiss to Blaine's lips to show him that he is not freaking out (even though he is, a little), that he won't act like this never happened.

“We'll talk later, okay?” he promises, and then goes to get the door. He briefly wonders who it might be, as they usually don't get unannounced visitors, but he figures it must be a Jehovah's witness again. He doesn't know why they keep coming; they usually disappear very quickly when Blaine shows up at the door and puts his arm around Kurt's waist, but apparently word of their sexual orientation hasn't yet spread. So he doesn't bother to check his appearance, sure that his red-kissed lips and mussed hair might do an equally good job of sending them on their way.

But when he opens the door, it's not a Jehovah's witness, nor a door-to-door salesman. It is someone much more unexpected, and much more unwelcome. It is his cousin Linda.

 

They're sitting in the living room. Blaine has offered and prepared coffee because he is that way, and now they're waiting more or less patiently for Linda to give the reason for her visit, but for now, she just sits and stares at the steam rising from her cup. Kurt doesn't know what to do. He wants her gone, as quickly and as far away as possible, but at the same time, he is intrigued. She looks subdued, almost scared, so little like her usual self that he can't help but wonder what's up with her and what she's doing here.

“Linda...” he begins, but she interrupts him.

“Eight years ago, when I was about twenty-two, I had met...I thought I had met the love of my life,” she says, still looking only at her coffee cup. “His name was Lance, short for Lancelet, and I used to endlessly tease him about his name. It fitted, though. He was...my knight. I felt like a princess when I was with him. I had never been so happy before. Everything was wonderful. We didn't have sex, but I didn't care; in fact, I was glad about it. I don't....really like sex, in general.”

She laughs a little, shaking her head and finally looking at them. “I know I made quite a different impression, but it's true. Anyway, when we had been together for a year or so, we decided to get married. In hindsight, I probably pushed a little, but then it didn't seem that way. The...the night we had planned to tell my parents, he didn't show up. I waited for him, then told some lie that he had texted me about some kind of emergency, but he never had. Later, he showed up at my apartment – with his boyfriend. He was gay, and he had just used me because he was afraid to tell his family. He was really sorry, he said, he didn't mean to let it get so out of hand, he loved me like a sister. I kicked him out, I was so mad, and I cried for weeks after. And – I know it's no excuse, but that's the reason I was so mean to you, Kurt, the reason I slept with your ex and hit on Blaine and said all those things. It felt like everytime I did something to you, I got back at him a little. I carried everything around with me for all these years, but I loved him so much, and I was so devastated, I felt like I couldn't really...let go of it, all the anger and the grief and the pity that was somewhere buried beneath. I never...saw him again. I heard they're married.”

She takes a deep breath and places her still full cup on the table. “I wanted to say I'm sorry, for everything I did to you. And I came to warn you. My gran, she's really mad about the money, and she plans something, I don't know what, to – to break you up or something, to thwart you so you can't meet the conditions. And she's...unpredictable, and I don't know what she's capable of.”

 

Linda leaves soon after, not really giving them a chance to process the things she said, much less to accept her apology. But Kurt is touched. She will never be his favorite human being, but now he knows why she did the things she did, he may be able to forgive her. Also he is positive that she will be nicer to him from now on, so maybe in time, they can learn to get along.

“What do you think about all this?” Blaine asks.

“I have no idea. It's kind of hard to process. I feel sorry for her, though. He shouldn't have treated her like this.”

“And her gran? That's – oh, that's Aunt Mildred, isn't it?”

“Yeah. I'm actually kind of scared, to know she's planning something, plotting against us...it's scary.”

Kurt knows they're stalling, that there is something else they should be talking about, but now, he's not sure where to begin. He starts by changing from the armchair to the couch, sitting beside Blaine and taking his hand.

“Did you write anything at all, those days you were holed up in your room?”

Blaine snorts and laughs a little, shaking his head. “I mostly just played Angry Birds. I made a few concepts, but I doubt they're any good. I ...couldn't really focus.” Kurt sighs. “I'm sorry, Blaine. I was just too scared, I still am. But...I really missed you these last few days. I missed you as my friend, and I guess I also missed...this feeling of potential between us. It always felt like there could be more, and I guess if you think we could be...more than friends without screwing this whole thing up, then I trust you. But we have to take it slow, okay? I think I'd be less scared of baby steps. So, would you be okay with us not defining anything, but cuddling as usual, and kissing, more than usual I hope, and knowing it's real? But nothing more, for now?”

Blaine smiles, scoots closer to Kurt and takes his other hand. “As long as I know it's real and there is kissing involved, I'm good. Can you please kiss me now?”

Kurt happily leans in and can feel Blaine smiling against his lips, but before he can do anything else, Blaine starts laughing.

“Kurt, I just remembered– we have to buy condoms and lube.”

“Oh my God Blaine, we just agreed on not - “

“No, I don't mean that. I caught Santana sneaking in our room again, a few days ago? I don't know if that's part of her job or if it's just part of her being insufferable, but she told me what she was looking for. And we...really can't justify not having any of that, can we?”

Kurt briefly buries his face in his hands. “I just can't believe her. But you're right. We have to order online though, cause there's no way I'm walking into a drugstore here and buy that. But, wait a minute, you have lube, don't you? I know you used some when you...”

“Yeah. It's...gone.”

Kurt shakes his head. “Blaine?”

“Hmm?”

“Kiss me.”

He does.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been brought to my attention (thanks!) that Mario Kart is not played on xbox. I'm very sorry. My only excuse is that I don't really game, and that I suck at Mario Kart. Seriously. I played against my six year old son, and lost.

Kurt has avoided his facebook since his relationship status update. Part of it was on purpose; he didn't - and still doesn't, really – want to deal with his friends asking questions. Part of it is that the wifi in the house is shitty and nothing is as frustrating as slow internet. Part of it is that he has just better things to do. But when the app on his phone starts looking like a reproach and he practically can't look at it without feeling guilty, he caves.

It's not so bad, at first glance. A lot of likes, a few comments that go along the path of the remarks his relatives had made during the party. And then, Rachel. Who apparently takes her role as a teenaged girl in an off-Broadway production of _The Crucible_ much too seriously, because she had written,

“OMG, does that mean it's real now?”

Kurt snickers a little about the 'OMG' until he notices the rest of the comment. _Does that mean it's real now_. Quickly, Kurt dials Rachel's number. At that time, he will probably interrupt one vocal lesson or other, but he doesn't care. When she answers, he starts talking without saying hello.

“What do you mean _does that mean it's real now_?”

“What?”

“Your comment on my facebook status.”

“Well, I thought if you make it facebook official, then it's probably real now, isn't it?”

“Rachel, for everyone else it's been real all the time!”

“.....Oh.”

“Yes.”

“Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I just didn't think...I was so excited.... Did anything happen? Has someone noticed?”

“Not yet. I hope they won't. If they do, I'll think of something. I think it's going to be alright. But I need you to be more careful, Rachel.”

“I will, I promise. I'm really sorry.”

They are silent for a little while.Then Kurt says, quietly, “It is, you know. Real. Somehow.”

After listening to Rachel squeal for about five minutes, Kurt explains how that happened, and it feels really good. In hindsight, Blaine coming up on him and then pouting for so long after being rejected is kind of flattering. He still feels obligated to add, “It's complicated,” though, because it kind of is.

Except it isn't. The fact that they're together now, really but not really, doesn't affect their daily life at all. Kurt doesn't know how to label them (and he knows it's his fault, because Blaine would call them boyfriends any day), but it doesn't matter to him, and if it matters to Blaine, he hasn't said anything. Life has gotten so much easier since their talk. Kurt isn't so afraid anymore, somehow; his choreography is coming along fine, Blaine still spends hours at a time in his study and assures him that now, he is really working on his concepts, and their relationship – well. Anything is better than the silent treatment, but they are really good now. They're talking again, laughing. Kissing.

Kissing. They do that a lot. Nothing that goes quite as far as the nearly-makeout they had in the study on the day they made up, because Kurt is still too afraid, although he can't really tell what of. But they're nice, the kisses. More than nice, actually, and Kurt often regrets the boundaries he has set on their physical relationship. Not enough to cross them, though.

They manage to convince Santana, too. He doesn't know if they have something to fear now, if they are still lying or...not. But she doesn't watch them as closely anymore, seems to trust them more.

In the evenings, they assume their custom cuddle positions, the only exception being that Kurt now sometimes presses a kiss to some part of Blaine's face when he has his head in Kurt's lap, and that Santana sometimes either looks at them with an expression that could almost be called a smile or pretends to barf. Kurt is getting his foot massages again too, which feel so good. In fact, everything feels good.

They do well during the holidays, Kurt thinks. They spend Thanksgiving with his family, Christmas at Blaine's – where he is treated to yet another meal of the most delicious food imaginable – and nobody asks any questions. Why should they, now? They're not lying anymore, not really.

On New Year's Eve, they get drunk in their house in Columbus together with Santana, who has invited Brittany and can't seem to keep her hands and mouth off her for more than a few minutes on time. Kurt and Blaine alternately laugh at their drunken, clumsy fumbling and moan about 'too much girl' until midnight, when they share a margarita-tasting, alcohol-fuelled kiss that gets a little out of hand, so that this time, Santana and Brittany watch them from behind their hands and giggle. Kurt suggests they take it to their room when Santana starts giving a running commentary on tongue technique. They kiss some more in their room, and somewhere in Kurt's brain, a thought manifests that consists of tonight being a good time to take things further. He doesn't know if it's just the alcohol speaking, though, so he decides to take a shower to sober up and think about it. He still isn't sure when he finishes, but the decision is made for him when he comes back and sees Blaine passed out on the bed.

They're still a little hung over when, around three in the afternoon the next day, the doorbell rings. Outside is a man in casual, but expensive clothes, thin, good hair. Smirk. Kurt doesn't know him, and he isn't sure he wants to. He doesn't look all that nice. The man gives him a once-over and says,

“So you're the one that scored Blaine. Isn't he delicious?”

Kurt holds up a finger to indicate that he should wait, not really trusting himself to speak, and shuts the door.

“Blaine? There's a man outside who looks like a chipmunk and says he knows you.”

Blaine stares at him for a moment, then groans and rubs his neck.”Shit. Oh, shit. I thought he was kidding. I swear.”

“Blaine? You're kind of worrying me.”

“That's the one I told you about, my sort-of-ex? From high school? He commented on my facebook update. He hinted on visiting, but I thought it was just a threat. We haven't talked in ages.”

Kurt sits Blaine down on the couch and hugs him. “Are you okay with seeing him? I could just tell him to leave.”

Blaine buries his face in Kurt's arm, then shakes his head.

“No. I kind of want to know what he wants. But, Kurt? He's my Linda. I know you have those...boundaries about how physical we can get, but just for today – turn on the PDA.”

“I didn't know you were into voyeurism,” Kurt quips, but immediately turns serious again. “I promise. I won't let him get to you. You're mine.”

He rubs soothingly over Blaine's back, then stands up and offers him his hand. “Come on. We can do this.”

When they open the door, hand in hand, the man outside is still there (although Kurt had half hoped he'd be gone), leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette. Blaine squeezes Kurt's hand once and the says,

“Sebastian. I didn't know you smoked.”


	16. Chapter 16

Kurt has a weird feeling of déjà-vu as he and Blaine are awkwardly sitting on the couch, a politely offered, hastily-prepared cup of coffee in hand, with an unannounced and unwelcome guest in the chair opposite them. Only Sebastian doesn't sit shyly in his chair like Linda had, he lounges in it. Kurt kind of expects him to put his feet on the coffee table, but he doesn't. Instead he looks around him as if he wanted to buy the place, even getting up to have a closer look at a picture.

“Is he planning to rob us?” Kurt whispers.

“No need. He's loaded,” Blaine whispers back, then asks, “Sebastian, what are you doing here? I don't recall we really talked since...you know.”

“Well, I heard of your new relationship over facebook – I'm still friends with Jeff and Nick and a few of the other Warblers, you know, no need to look so surprised – and I was kind of intrigued, since as far as I know you never made one of your other relationships facebook official since ours. Though I'm sure you wanted to marry each and every one of the guys you dated. Tell me, have you introduced him to your parents?”

“Not everyone shares your aversion for commitment, Sebastian. And yes, I did.”

“Oh, I'm sure they loved him. He looks the right kind for in-laws. All prim and proper.”

Kurt is not sure what to make of all this. Sebastian is not the kind of guy he is impressed by, or intimidated. He's met enough of those, all bravado and nothing to show for it. But Blaine looks really uncomfortable and as if he's about to apologize to Kurt, so Kurt puts his hand high on Blaine's thigh and leans in to whisper in his ear,

“We should pair him up with Santana, see who wins.”

He I satisfied to see Blaine laugh, and Sebastian narrows his eyes. Evidently, he doesn't like not knowing what they talk about.

“You know, Blaine,” he says. “I might be persuaded to take you back, if he's too boring for you. Though he's kind of pretty. A threesome might be more fun.”

Blaine sputters, then asks incredulously, “Do you seriously think I'd take you back? I mean, not even you can be so delusional as to imagine I'd still be hung up on you after nearly ten years.”

Sebastian grins and gestures at himself. “What can I say, this level of perfection is hard to top.”

Kurt cocks his head, giving Sebastian a critical look. “Yes, I can imagine you'd be hard to top. Too filled with his own importance,” he says to Blaine by way of explanation and shrugs, silently telling him, “What? The opportunity was too good to pass up.”

Blaine looks torn between laughing and crying, then decides on laughing.

“As long as you don't want to test him.”

“No, baby. You're more then enough for me,” Kurt says and kisses Blaine, because he had promised him to up the PDA, and also because he wants to. Sebastian looks pissed, but quickly collects himself.

“Okay, I can see when my company is wanted no longer. But I'd be sad to say goodbye so soon. So what do you say we go to Axis tomorrow night?”

When they just look at him uncomprehendingly, he clarifies.

“Jeez, how long have you lived here? It's a gay bar in downtown Columbus. It's really classy, I promise, nothing seedy.”

Kurt and Blaine look at each other. It's actually something they have been planning – not necessarily go to a gay bar, but explore Columbus night life. There is so little to do here, but somehow, no matter how much they complain about boredom and cabin fever, nighttime inevitably finds them on the couch, watching a movie.

“We'll come,” Blaine says, and Kurt agrees. He wouldn't have agreed on his own for fear of making Blaine uncomfortable, but if Blaine wants to, he's happy to go. Not necessarily with Sebastian, though – but perhaps they can go back alone some other day, if they like it.

 

The next evening, they dress to the nines, Kurt in tight red pants and a black shirt, Blaine in black jeans and a black-and yellow striped shirt that somehow looks really good, although Kurt makes several innuendos to Bee Movie to distract from the fact that he's staring a little.

They meet for dinner beforehand, in a Mediterranean restaurant that Sebastian picked and that is surprisingly good. They make small talk during dinner, and it is awkward, but not overly unpleasant, although Sebastian is what Kurt starts to understand is his usual obnoxious self. He keeps hitting on Blaine and can't seem to decide whether to hit on Kurt, too, or try to insult him by hinting that Blaine 'settled' or that he is too good for Kurt. He finally decides on hitting on him. He can probably see that his exaggerated compliments and flirtation makes Kurt more uncomfortable than the insults, because, as sad as it is, even years after high school Kurt is still more used to being insulted than to being flirted with.

The bar is crowded and loud, but kind of nice. They have some drinks, Sebastian considerably more than either of them, and they dance. Sebastian as well as some other guys sometimes push themselves between them, and they let it happen and actually have a lot of fun. It is innocent; a lot less grinding happens than Kurt expected. Apparently Sebastian had been right about this being a classy place. Kurt can see a few couples making out in the corners, but he can't imagine anyone giving blowjobs in the well-lit, clean bathrooms, so he's good. Still, he keeps an eye on Blaine – what business does this lanky, blond guy have dancing with him when Blaine is his boyfriend?

He steps in when the song changes to a ballad and puts his arms around Blaine. He rests his head on Blaine's shoulder and thinks. If he feels so possessive about Blaine, if he can think of him as his boyfriend in a crowded bar in downtown Columbus, why can't he do it in their house in the suburbs? Isn't it time to stop stalling and admit to his head what has been real in his heart for some time now? Isn't it time to stop being afraid?

 

Outside, when they are waiting for their cab, Blaine asks a pretty drunk Sebastian,

“Now, can you tell me why you are really here?”

Sebastian's words are slurred when he answers. “But you can't tell anyone. Is a secret. Some old lady hired me to break you two up. Don't know how she found me, don't know why, don't care. She's promised me a great job in her husband's law firm.”

Kurt is completely stunned. The old lady can only be Aunt Mildred. To try to break them up would be a scheme that fits with Linda's warning, but...oh.

“Sorry, Sebastian, but I'm afraid you've been conned. Her husband doesn't have a law firm, never had. He was a simple attorney in a small firm that went bankrupt some years ago. Besides, he's dead.”

Sebastian is too drunk to be really upset. “Oh. Crap. But I've been doing a pretty shitty job anyway, haven't I?”

Kurt laughs and pats him on the back. “That you have indeed.”

 

“How did you know to ask him then? “ Kurt asks when they are home and share a late night leftover piece of cheesecake.

“Sebastian always was a chatty drunk. And he tells the absolute truth then, too. Whenever I wanted him to admit something when we were together, I'd wait till he was drunk. 'In vino veritas' absolutely applies to him. But your relatives are absolutely evil! I mean, how can she try something like this? And with my ex, too? I wonder how she found him.”

“Shh, baby, it doesn't matter.”

Kurt kisses him long enough to make him forget that he just wanted to get angry. “She can try whatever she wants, she can't touch us. You're my boyfriend, and nothing she does can change that.”

“Am I really? Your boyfriend?” Blaine whispers.

Kurt kisses him again. “Yes, you are.”


	17. Chapter 17

They end up sort of skipping Valentine's day. It's not without regret; they both like romance, and once, Kurt would have scoffed at the idea of having a boyfriend on Valentine's day and not doing anything to celebrate it. But they both feel that their tentative relationship is still too new and fragile for any kind of grand romantic gesture. They gift Santana with a plane ticket to New York to see Brittany, and though she claims they only did that so she wouldn't cockblock them, she goes happily enough. And Kurt and Blaine spend the day on the couch, watching 'Moulin Rouge' for the umpteenth time, and kissing. It feels right, and kind of perfect.

Not everything is, though. It turns out that Kurt's dad had been right; living together is difficult. They fight about little things, as predicted, but what really bothers them is the lack of mystery. Their relationship, for them, is so new, they sometimes want to be able to go home after a date and lie in their separate beds, giddy with excitement and the butterflies of infatuation. They don't have that. Their relationship, even in its earliest days, is much more mature – as it has to be, given that they live together and everyone else thinks they have been together for the better part of a year now. They know each other so well by now that their honeymoon phase very soon evolves to old married couple. They completely forgo the awkwardness most early relationships have in common, but they forgo the excitement, too, at least to a degree. In exchange, they get to go to bed together every night and kiss till they fall asleep – which, really, isn't so bad.

Still. They have managed to avoid to see each other naked – although their physical relationship has progressed as well, Kurt isn't quite there yet – but it can't always be avoided that Blaine has to pee when Kurt takes a shower (as big as the house is, it has a distinctive and very noticeable lack of bathrooms), and when Kurt catches the flu at the end of February, Blaine spends days spoon-feeding him chicken soup and wiping sweat off his forehead, which is not a little to ask of a new boyfriend.

 

March makes their part of Columbus not more exciting, but at least a little less dreary. They don't get to go outside much, though, because Kurt realizes that almost half of their year is up, and for a few days he panics and refuses to let anyone do something else than work. He practically locks Blaine in his study, and though he knows he will play Angry Birds probably half the time, he's bound to get some writing done, too, isn't he?

Kurt and Santana dance in the hall until Santana falls down on the couch and refuses to move for at least two days, at which point Kurt revises their choreography and then rejects his own revisions at least twice before he realizes he's freaking out and that it has to stop.

After that, he calms down. After all, his choreography is more or less perfect, and he and Santana have nearly all the moves down for three of the five dances. He doesn't know exactly how far Blaine is with his novel. He gets the feeling it annoys him when he asks, so he tries not to do it often. Santana, however, has no such qualms.

“How's the next Harry Potter coming along?” she asks over breakfast one day, and for once, Blaine seems inclined to answer.

“I wish,” he says, then smiles. “But actually, I think it's slowly coming together. I have the outline ready, and some parts written, too.”

"Tell us what it's about?” Kurt asks. “Or is it secret?”

“No, it's not. I actually thought about asking you guys for feedback.” He sips at his coffee. “Alright, I'll just give you the basic outline for now, okay? Tell me what you think. So, there's this nun – I'll have to do research on names, I didn't just want to pick one from Sister Act -, and she's really unhappy in her convent, because she is a free spirit, so she runs away. And she travels around a bit, doing charity work, having a few adventures, and one day, she gets in the way of a criminal, and he ends up taking her hostage. He's on the run, of course, so they sort of go on a road trip together, and she discovers that he's only criminal out of desperation and really a great guy - “

“- and so,” Santana interrupts, “She'll get a bad case of Stockholm's and they end up dry-humping in the back of his car? Sounds like a bad porno.”

“No!” Blaine objects. “No sex, remember? That's why she is a nun in the first place! No, she – okay, yes, she falls in love with him but she's really torn because of her vows and everything and...I hadn't decided if he releases her and she goes back to her convent or if she saves him and they marry.....Oh crap. That'd be a bad porno mashed up with Sound of Music, wouldn't it? Oh fuck. It's really bad, isn't it? Kurt?”

Kurt nods. He doesn't really want to say it, but he agrees. “I'm sorry, baby.”

“Fuck.” Blaine pushes his chair back and stands up. “I'm sorry, Kurt. I let you down.”

He disappears in his study and for a few hours, they don't see him again. Kurt fights down the panic that wants to rise in him again. They still have a lot of time, after all, and there are more important things to do now.

In the afternoon, he takes a plate to Blaine, and for the first time today, Blaine opens the door when he knocks.

“I'm fine,” he says as soon as he sees Kurt. “Really. I've looked over my notes, and I have a few other options that don't seem too bad. There's a plot for a children's story that should be good and that I could write in a short time, if I have to. It's not what I really want to write, and I'm still a little disappointed, but I don't feel like a complete failure anymore.”

Anymore? Kurt looks around the room and takes in all the signs of a mild existential crisis he missed earlier – a lot of balled-up paper litters the room, some things lie on the floor that he clearly remembers were on the desk before, and Blaine's eyes are red and a little puffy.

Kurt hugs him tightly. “Baby, you're not a failure. Not ever. This is just a minor setback. We still have so much time left...”

Blaine pulls away and looks at him a little surprised. “Hey. Hey, where did that come from?”

He puts his hands on Kurt's arms and strokes up and down, soothingly. “I told you I'm okay now. I know I can write something, and I actually called my publisher, and while they don't understand why I would 'stray from the path of Romances', as they put it, they said they'll publish just about anything I send in, no questions asked.”

“Wow. That's so great, Blaine, that's...” Kurt just has to kiss him. This does a great deal towards calming the panic that was trying to come up again since this morning.

“That's great news. We should celebrate, maybe take Santana and go for dinner tonight or something?”

“We could. Or...we could go out, just the two of us. We never had a real date, you know. Apart from the coffee date at the airport the day we met.”

Kurt grins. “Oh, but that was a great first date. I remember it very fondly.”

He kisses Blaine again, long and lingering, because he has a moment of incredulity that everything has played out in a way that allows him to do just that.

“You know, I'm so happy that it was you they sent to play my boyfriend. And that we don't pretend anymore.”

 

A sharp knock on the door interrupts their moment.

“Lady Hummel? Pull up your pants and come out here. A delivery just came. It's our costumes.”

“Lady Hummel?” Blaine asks, frowning.

“Yeah, it's something she started lately. I'm not sure what to think of it. I mean, I guess it should piss me off, and it does, to some point, but....I think it's her way of showing affection.”

“Like you calling me baby?”

“No, on so many levels, Blaine. But...does that bother you? Because I think I can still stop...”

Blaine blushes a little. “No, I kind of like it.”

He gives him a little push. “Go dancing. I'll come watch in a little while, yeah? I need to see you in that costume.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's violence in this chapter, and injury. Nothing graphic, though.
> 
> And to avoid confusion: in the dance Paso Doble, the lead is usually impersonating a matador during a bullfight, while the follow is the matador's red cape. There are foot stomps involved that are called apels, and it's so much fun to dance and great to watch.  
> The Turkish Towel is a figure in the Rumba where the follow dances behind the lead's back - as if they were a towel drying them.

Their costumes have turned out fine. Kurt had managed to talk Santana out of the obvious choice of red, and now she is wearing a tight, asymmetrical dress in a pale gold with tassles and a moderate amount of sequins, and she looks fabulous. Kurt is in tight pants in the same gold tone and a black shirt that is, in true male Latin dancer form, open to mid-chest. It is perhaps a little tacky, but he can't deny he looks good. Even Santana gives a low whistle when she sees him.

“Damn, Hummel, I didn't know you had it in you. I mean, I'm about as gay as they come, but if I weren't I'd totally tap that.”

“No, you wouldn't, “ he says, grinning. “Cause I'm as gay as they come, too.”

They start with Paso Doble because this is the dance they are behind on the most, but whether it is the costumes or something else, everything just works fine today. Their apels are in perfect sync, and Santana's movements are disciplined and so flowing that she is an adequate cape to his matador, even in gold.

They change to Rumba after a while, and mid-dance, Kurt notices Blaine leaning against the doorway, watching them, a rapt expression on his face. And because he knows how he looks in that costume, Kurt decides to play it up a little. He swings his hips just a little more than strictly necessary and finds Blaine's eyes after every turn, and after a while, Blaine's just staring at him, open-mouthed without noticing it. Kurt leads Santana into a Turkish Towel, and he knows that Blaine imagines himself behind him, brushing Kurt's body with his the way Santana does now, just closer, until he's pressed against him.... and he misses the next step.

“I'm sorry,” he apologizes to Santana. “I was...distracted.”

He assumes position again, but just as they are about to start again, Blaine says,

“Excuse me. Kurt, could I...talk to you for a moment?”

Santana smirks. “Sure, don't let me detain you. Go...talk.”

 

As soon as the door of their room closes behind them, Kurt finds himself being pressed against it and kissed thoroughly.

“You can't wear something like that and not expect me to do something about it,” Blaine whispers against his mouth, and Kurt grins.

“I definitely expect you to do something about it,” he says, and then latches his lips on Blaine's neck. Ever since 'the hickey incident', he has known exactly what that does to Blaine, and he has put this knowledge to good use on several occasions. Blaine groans and presses against him, and Kurt can feel his growing erection against his thigh. If Kurt's own condition is anything to go by, Blaine has been half-hard for some time now, and if that makes him extra responsive right now - well, Kurt won't complain.

“You are not playing fair,” Blaine says while exploring with his hand just how far Kurt's shirt is open, and then making short work of the remaining buttons.

“Are you complaining?” Kurt asks and then resumes kissing Blaine's neck, moaning when Blaine's thumb brushes his nipple.

Kurt is not quite sure what he's doing here – he's still a little tentative when it comes to sex with Blaine, though they'd progressed as far as handjobs since he confirmed their relationship. Today, though, he's ready to just go with it – however far things may progress with Santana in the next room, knowing exactly what they are doing.

“God, you know I'm not,” Blaine groans.

“Thought so,” Kurt says and starts sucking a hickey above Blaine's collar bone when they hear a loud rumple and a cry from the hall. Startled, they look at each other and hastily adjust their clothing, then run towards the sounds.

 

They find Santana on the staircase, sitting on the lowest step, white as a sheet and clutching her leg.

“Oh my god, what happened?” Kurt cries, rushing to her side, while Blaine pulls out his phone and calls an ambulance.

“Bitch pushed me down the stairs,” Santana says through clenched teeth. “I think my leg's broken.”

“What do you mean you were pushed down the stairs? Who would do something like that? Who was here, anyway?”

“Ambulance is on its way,” Blaine chimes in. “Kurt, maybe we should hold the questions until she doesn't look like she's about to burst into tears?”

 

It's a clean fracture, thankfully, so Santana is sent home with her leg in a cast and a supply of painkillers. They sit her down on the couch, and she says she's looking forward to staying there for a few weeks and being waited on hand and foot, but they can see she's still trembling.

“Santana.” Blaine sits on the coffee table and takes her hands. “What happened?”

“I went upstairs to change, and when I came back and wanted to got downstairs, she just.... came up behind me and pushed. She must have been hiding in that dark corner on the platform, you know? And, well...I fell, and she just went downstairs and left. She didn't even check on me, she just passed me by without even looking at me!”

“But who was it?”

“I don't know. I have seen her before, but I can't remember where. Old lady, but fit, purple-ish hair?”

Kurt groans and buries his head in his hands.

Blaine nods. “Aunt Mildred. You have seen her at the reading after Uncle Andy's funeral?”

Kurt can't believe it. He shakes his head, can't seem to stop the tears rising in his eyes, he is so angry.

“But...I mean I want to ask why she would do something so awful, but I know why. I'd never thought she'd be capable of something like that. Trying to break us up is one thing, but hurting someone? You could have broken your spine, you could have died!”

Santana looks at him with a little grin; she almost looks like herself again. “Considering I'm the one with her leg in a cast, shouldn't I be the one freaking out?”

Kurt looks down. “But this is my great-aunt. My crazy relative has done this to you.” He looks up in Santana's and Blaine's eyes. “I'm just really, really sorry you guys got pulled into all this shit.”

Blaine pulls him into a hug. “We're in this together, Kurt.” He kisses him softly, then smiles. “I won't deny she is crazy, though. How do you think she got in without us noticing?”

“She must have a key. She and Uncle Andy were close, although she is quite a lot younger. Or maybe he had a key hidden in the front yard somewhere and she knows where?”

Blaine nods.”So we change locks, that's the first thing. And... Santana, do you want to press charges? You could, I'm sure. You have seen her, you would recognize her. Maybe we could even get Linda to testify against her, as she threatened to do something like this.”

Santana thinks, then shakes her head. “This might be a surprise, considering I'm a lawyer, but I'd prefer a more hands-on approach here. I just really want to kick her ass. And as I can't do it literally, you two have to do it figuratively. I want you to win this thing, now more than ever.”

They look at each other, nodding. Now that they know Santana will be fine, they are even more determined. They won't give up without a fight.

Then Blaine says,

“Just – Santana, your leg's broken. You can't walk. And you certainly can't dance.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned is 'TIny Dancer' by Elton John.

There's a few moments of quiet, in which Kurt's thoughts range from 'shit' to 'fuck' to 'I can't believe I haven't noticed this until now!'.

Then Santana says, “Brittany.”

“What?”

“You have to let Brittany come in and dance the routine with you.”

Kurt thinks about it. Brittany is a great dancer and they have danced together before. It would work. But -

“The studio re-opens next week. We have lost so much time and money already because the renovations took so much longer than planned, we can't afford to lose any more. She has to be there, Mike can only come in from time to time because of the baby.”

“So now what?”

Kurt shrugs, letting himself slump down on the couch against Blaine, who puts a comforting arm around him.

“It's a pity dancing is such a heterosexual sport, or else Blaine could do it. He's not bad, he learns quickly, and we're a good team. But they'd never let us enter a competition together.”

Santana holds up a hand. “You know, the will doesn't say you have to enter a competition, it only demands that you choreograph and perform a competition routine. I think we could probably talk Mr Steiner into accepting a more private performance, just for him maybe and a few interested people.”

Kurt sits up, excited. “Then Blaine could do it. I mean, we'd have to ask first, but...Blaine, would you do it? I know it'll be a lot of work, and you have to write, but...” “Well, it's the only way, isn't it?” Blaine says, smiling. “I just wish there were a few more hours in the day...”

“Oh please,” Santana says. “You spend most of the time playing Angry Birds, watching bad TV or making out with Lady Hummel.”

“Well I refuse to go back on the making out time, so I guess I'll have to sacrifice Angry Birds and TV. But I won't wear the dress.”

“It's a pity, I'm sure you'd look gorgeous in it,” Kurt laughs. “No, I think we should get you black pants and a gold shirt, like mine just the other way round? Would that be okay?”

Then he jumps up and hugs Blaine and then Santana. “Thank you, both of you. Santana, could you brief Blaine on the steps? I have to revise the choreography. I'd like to switch leads again,” he grins, “and I must adapt it to the height difference.”

“Don't even start,” Blaine warns, but Kurt and Santana just look at each other and start to sing,

“Hold me closer, tiny dancer...”

“Wait if I won't step on your toes all the time,” Blaine says, but he's smiling.

................................

One evening in mid-march, Kurt is busy cooking dinner while Santana sits on the couch, trying (with limited success) to paint the toenails of her broken leg, when Blaine comes in from a solitary dance practice. He hugs Kurt from behind and then goes to peek in the pots to see what's for dinner.

“Why are we eating pasta?” he asks.

Kurt pushes him out of the way. “Scoot, I have to stir that. Why should we not be eating pasta?”

“Because it's Steak and a Blow job Day!”

“I'm so sorry, baby, I forgot!” Kurt says with audible sarcasm, patting Blaine's cheek. “Now it's Pasta and No Blow job Day.”

“Only fair!” Santana calls from the couch. “If I'm not getting any, you're not getting any either!”

“That's it,” Blaine says. “Tomorrow I'm cooking. I'm making steak, and it'll be blow job-worthy.”

“Wait, you can cook?” Kurt asks. “Why have we lived off pasta and takeout for half a year if you can cook?”

“I don't know, no one asked? Besides, I made cupcakes that one time.”

“One time!”

“Well. You could have known. My mom's a chef, after all.” 

“So cooking's genetic now, is it?”

......................

They are lying in bed, lazily making out, not quite able to decide if they want to sleep or not. Kurt is just beginning to wonder if he wants to make it a blow job day after all when he notices that Blaine has stopped reacting to his kisses; he has, very quietly, fallen asleep.

“That's not very flattering,” he tells him quietly, not really angry. “And you would have gotten so much more if you wouldn't fall asleep all the time.”

The next day, Blaine goes grocery shopping and cleans the kitchen thoroughly like it hasn't been done since they moved in, when Kurt had scrubbed everything furiously to get rid of the old house grime and smell. He doesn't accept any help, too, although he is easily the one with the most to do right now.

“I'm a little nervous,” he says. “I'm a good cook, I know that, but it's the first time that I cook for you. So this is just as much me trying to distract myself as me refusing to cook in a less than spotless kitchen.”

In the early evening, he starts, and now he even accepts Kurt and Santana's offer of help and has them prepare a salad. He seems to gain confidence, too, and as he works, he tells them stories of how his mother taught him to cook and how he tried out new recipes alone later, and the tales soon have them forget their task and listen enraptured, sometimes bent over from laughing so much over the mishaps he narrates with a love for detail and the ability to make fun of himself.

The food is excellent, too, not quite, but nearly as good as that of Blaine's mother. While Kurt is chewing his steak and trying to keep from moaning (it really is a blow job-worthy steak – he just doesn't think Blaine meant that he would have difficulties to decide which he would prefer), he has an idea.

“Blaine, you can cook other things, too, can't you?”

Blaine nods. “But don't try to get me to cook more than, say, once a week with the all the dancing and the writing I have to do.”

“No, that wasn't what I meant, although I definitely approve of you cooking once a week. And I assume you know stories to the other recipes too?”

At Blaine's confused nod, he continues. “Please don't get me wrong. I know I haven't read anything that you've written, but if you write as good as you tell stories, I believe you will write a great novel. Just, for this, for this challenge, I think you should try and write a cookery book.”

Blaine doesn't answer, and Kurt is a little afraid to have offended him, but he continues. “I don't mean just the recipes and pictures, I mean with all the stories you have connected to cooking. The ones you told today were so great, funny and moving, you must have noticed how Santana and I reacted. I think if you put the recipes in it, with good photos, and then told all the stories you have for them, it would be an amazing book.”

“And we'll be more than happy to test-eat for you!” Santana says, her mouth full.

Blaine looks thoughtful. “It could work. I'm not offended, I think it's a great idea and I won't yet cry over the death of my career as a novelist, but for this – it's kind of perfect, actually. I love cooking, you know, so that's practically two of my passions combined. I'll do it.”

They grin at each other for a moment, probably looking totally stupid but not caring because they're happy, until Santana clears her throat and asks,

“So – dessert?”

Kurt rises. “There's some tiramisu left I can get for you, but I think Blaine and myself have earned another kind of dessert.”


	20. Chapter 20

“You know, we never went on that date.”

“True,” Kurt says, toweling his hair. “Too much went down. And now, I don't suppose we can find the time.”

They are incredibly busy, Blaine especially. The mornings they spend dancing, then Blaine writes and Kurt revises choreography, does housework and tries to entertain an increasingly bored and grumpy Santana. Then Blaine cooks dinner, which Kurt arranges decoratively on plates and Santana photographs before they eat. In the evenings, more often then not, Blaine has to plan meals or write some more, or, when they had difficulties with some part or there are major revisions, they dance for a few hours before they fall into bed.

“Then let's make time,” Blaine says. “We've been working so hard, we deserve one free night.”

“There's no doubt we deserve it, but do you really think we can afford it?”

“Come on!” Blaine begs, takes the towel from Kurt, cards his fingers through his wet hair and kisses him gently. “All work and no play make Kurt -”

“If you call me dull, I'll go all Shining on you, Blaine Anderson. I'm sure there is an ax somewhere in this house.”

“No, no!” Blaine raises his hands defensively. “You could never be dull. But I think I can rather imagine Santana in the role of the ax-murderer.” “She would be, if she could walk. She's not far from going berserk just because she's so bored. We should got to Columbus for our date and bring her something, a gift, something to entertain her for a while.”

“So we can go on a date?” Blaine asks hopefully.

“Yes. We can go on a date.”

When he thinks about it, Kurt has an idea about a gift for Santana. It's been two weeks since they reopened the studio, and while he wasn't able to actually be there, he has been sent photos – the place looks great – and they have received a couple of new registrations since. It's going well, and Mike and Tina seem to have worked out a manageable routine with their colicky baby, so Mike can come in a little more often. They can afford to fly in Brittany for a weekend as a surprise, so that Santana can be entertained. And finally get laid. As of late, she has started to complain whenever Blaine and Kurt so much as look as each other – though it's not as if their sex life is anything special right now. They're much too busy, and too tired whenever they have a moment's rest. They have taken to showering together, as it's the only time they don't actually use for something else. They share a lot of wet kisses then and wash each other, but invariably, whenever they get worked up enough that they would actually take the time and the energy for some kind of sex, the old shower turns cold. Kurt knows it's just that they have showered so long then that the hot water runs out – but it feels like the shower is their chaperone in the old-fashioned sense – effectively cockblocking them with the literal, not just the figurative, cold shower.

Well. He has great hopes for the evening of the date – he even reserves a room in a nice hotel in Columbus so they won’t have to listen to Santana and Brittany and have no one listen to them.

Santana complains for a whole day that they are abandoning her to die of boredom, before in late afternoon, they leave her with tea, food, books and the remote control within easy reach and drive to the airport to pick up Brittany. They take her to their house, let her in and just peek long enough to her Santana's undignified and very un-Santana-like squeal and see Brittany pick her up without effort and carry her bridal-style in the direction of the bedroom. Then they drive once more to town to finally start their date. Initially, Kurt had voted to just look for a restaurant in their part of nowhere to save the drive back, but Blaine had been against it. “I want to be able to hold your hand,” he had explained, “without being side-eyed by some yesteryear Republicans. And if we want to get a hotel room, we have to go to town anyway.”

So they go to the restaurant they went to with Sebastian. They sit at a small corner table that could never seat more than two, they have a candle lit, they eat, and they talk.

“You know,” Kurt says, “I think I'm really spoiled by the things you cook at home. I mean the food here's fine, but...I'm just used to better things now. It's a good thing we have all the dancing to do.”

“Well, don't get used to it too much. I mean, I won't be there to cook for you every day of your life.” Blaine laughs. “Speaking of which, I have to start looking for a new place for me soon. It'll take some time to find something nice that's not too expensive.” He sips at his drink, looking thoughtful. “It'll be weird, living alone again.”

Kurt just nods, saying nothing. He hasn't thought about it, hasn't allowed himself to think about it. But it's May, they have a scant four months until their year is over. They have to start planning for the time after. But it makes him sad. As hesitant he was in the beginning of their relationship, as invested in it is he now – he doesn't want to think that their relationship basically comes with an expiration date.

But it does, doesn't it? In four months' time, they will be apart. They will, at least, live in different apartments, probably in different parts of town. Will they last if they actually have to put effort into seeing each other? Will they be able to cope with late night and early morning drives through town because they forgot time, will they actually make time for each other when work and real life try to come between them?

He just doesn't know, and suddenly, he's afraid. He doesn't want to live alone again, without Blaine. There seems to be this thing for him about sudden, late realizations in restaurants or bars in Columbus, he thinks, but so what? Better late than never. Not that he's going to do anything with this realization, not now, anyway.

He doesn't say much for the rest of the dinner, but luckily, Blaine doesn't notice, as dinner is mostly over. Afterwards, they go to the club again (“Do you want to go to Axis and be boring and only dance with each other?” Blaine asks), and Kurt is glad that it's loud and he doesn't have to talk, but can just lay his head on Blaine's shoulder and sway during the slow songs and go to the bar and drink during the upbeat ones. Their dancing soon turns into sloppy making out, and it's still early when they take a cab to their hotel.

Kurt can hardly keep his hands off Blaine during the cab ride. He is less horny than desperate in the beginning, but once they're in their room, Blaine is able to calm him down with his slow kisses and unhurried, gentle touching.

He just lets go then. Lets Blaine take care of him, answering with quiet nods to Blaine's whispered questions and suggestions, lets Blaine kiss him into oblivion and then slowly, carefully open him up and make love to him in a way that seems to last for hours and still is over too soon.

He feels bettter then. His fear isn't gone, but he thinks he might be able to trust them to work it out. He knows he will talk to Blaine later, when he isn't feeling so vulnerable anymore, and if they get it right, maybe - just maybe – they have a chance.

He reciprocrates in the morning. They never have that kind of privacy and time at home, they need to use it well. He blows Blaine in the shower and then lays him out on the bed and kisses and caresses him until he is hard again. The sex then is hard and dirty and exhausting, so they barely clean up and then take another nap. When they wake up, there is one thing Kurt has to do before he feels able to face the semi-real life in their house again.

He smiles at Blaine and says, “I love you, you know.”


	21. Chapter 21

The slow, sleepy smile that spreads over Blaine's face at his words has to be the most beautiful thing Kurt has ever seen.

“I did not, as a matter of fact,” Blaine says. “But it's good to know, thank you.”

He doesn't say anything more, and the unsaid words hang in the air between them. Kurt wriggles his toes impatiently, but he is, in fact, not overly worried. He isn't really sure (can one ever be sure?), but he thought...He turns over to look at Blaine, and when he sees the little smile and the overly innocent look he gets in return, he knows he's being teased. He huffs incredulously and poked Blaine in the belly with his index finger in revenge.

“What?” Blaine asks innocently, scooting away from the poking finger and laughing.

“Oh, I don't know,” Kurt says. “There's this silly social convention that requires you to say it back when someone tells you they love you. Only if you feel like it, obviously. No biggie.”

“Right! I totally forgot about that, thanks for reminding me.” Blaine grows serious; the laughter is still there, in his eyes and in his voice, but his face is earnest. He rolls to his side, cups Kurt's face in his hand and looks at him. “I love you, too.”

Kurt had wanted to ask, “Really?”, just to be sure and also because he's rather enjoying himself at the moment, but when he looks into Blaine's eyes, he's caught. He doesn't need to ask anymore; everything he needs to know is right there in Blaine's eyes. He doesn't feel like teasing anymore, at all.

“You love me,” he says, full of wonder. “You really do.”

“I really, really do,” Blaine says and kisses him. “And not just since yesterday, too.”

“Since when?”

“I don't really know. I started to find you....interesting when you opened the door and insulted my clothes.”

“No, really? I'm still embarrassed about that. I was so rude!”

“Yes, but you were also strong, opinionated. Not to mention gorgeous. You made quite an impression on me. I remember having a very good feeling about this job.”

Kurt smiles. “It has turned out pretty well, hasn't it? Despite everything?”

But Blaine apparently hasn't quite finished his walk down memory lane. “And then, when you gave me the hickey....when I was able to think again I started to imagine what sex with you would be like if a simple hickey could make me feel like this...”

Kurt is a little embarrassed now, but the question needs to be asked. “And did it...live up to your expectations?”

“Are you kidding? I'm still wobbly in the knees, and it's been two hours.”

“Which would mean that now it's...shit, Blaine, we have to be out of the room in an hour!”

Blaine groans and sits up. “Shower blow jobs?”

“If we are very quick.”

...........................

They work hard for another two months. The day they send in Blaine's manuscript for editing, they celebrate with champagne and another visit to _Axis_ , this time with Santana, who is back on her feet again, though she takes it easy with the dancing. Two weeks later, Kurt declares their choreography as finished. They will still practice every day so they won't forget any of the steps, and there are still parts that could work better, but they should be done with that in an hour a day or so. All of a sudden, there's not much left to do.

Kurt hasn't talked to Blaine about his insecurities. There's been too much to do, he reasons, and anyway, Blaine said “I love you”, too, hasn't he? So he should be committed to their relationship just like Kurt. They'll figure it out, even with living apart and everything. They have nothing to worry about.

Still, his heart clenches when he sees Blaine looking up available apartments on his computer, and more when a few days later, Blaine says,

“So, I've scheduled a few appointments with realtors to look at the apartments I checked out earlier, and I'm flying to New York next week. I'll stay a week, probably. Do you want to come?”

Kurt thinks. He should, go check on the studio and his place, and he wants to, but...he needs to practice being without Blaine constantly by his side. This can be an opportunity for them, he decides, to test how they'll be doing when they're apart. So he tells Blaine no, and adds, a spur-of-the-moment decision,

“I should visit my dad, I'll do that when you're away. He's been bugging me to come, I haven't been there since Christmas, and apparently, he can't leave the garage long enough to even come to Columbus for a weekend.”

Blaine looks a little disappointed, but he smiles and walks off to ask Santana if she'll need a plane ticket.

Blaine and Santana leave for New York, where they will stay at Kurt's apartment (although Santana probably won't be there often, if at all) and one day later, Kurt drives to Lima. The tension in his shoulders he didn't know was there dissolves as soon as he hugs his father, and God, it is much too easy to forget how good it can feel to be home.

“So, your year's nearly up,” his dad asks over dinner. “How are things?”

Kurt smiles as he chews, then answers. “Really good. The book is already at the publisher's, and our routine is finished, too. We'll be ready on time.”

“And you and Blaine?”

Kurt is about to say “We're fine,” but sighs. “It's good. Like, it's incredibly good. I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, and I'm scared it will drop when we're not living together anymore. I mean, it's not always been easy, this past year. Like you said, we fought over the most ridiculous things, and I really wasn't aware how much I value my privacy, but...We've grown together, and I like it. I'm scared that we'll grow apart again.”

“But you've done all this before. I mean, you've been together without living together.”

Kurt hesitates. He could tell the truth now, it's probably not a big deal anymore, and he can trust his dad not to tell anyone. But then, his dad was never one to accept being lied to, and he can really do without a sermon. He can't deal with his dad being disappointed, not now, on top of everything else. So he just says, “Yeah, you're right. It's just, I actually think that for us, living together might really be easier.”

Kurt, his dad and Carole spend a long, mostly enjoyable evening catching up, and when Kurt finally goes to his old bedroom, he finds he has a missed call and a message from Blaine (no phones at family dinner – he still abides by that rule). He listens to it while getting ready for bed.

“Hi, I suppose you can't talk right now. Um, your cactus is fine, and I've emptied the mail box, there's nothing that looks important. I looked at the first place today, and it was a catastrophe. Really, if all of them are like this, I'll have to sleep in a tent on your fire escape. I miss you, but don't call me back, I'm being forced to go out. Bye!”

Kurt calls Blaine back the next day, and they spend nearly an hour on the phone, only hanging up when it's time for Blaine to leave for the next apartment he's looking at. They talk every night, and Kurt gets little texts during the day that mostly contain of photos of one or more broken things at the places Blaine looks at – and still, he misses Blaine. The last night before they both plan to return to Columbus, Blaine sounds nearly desperate on the phone.

“I can't believe all the places I've looked at are crap, Kurt! I mean, the only place that looked halfway decent had so many hidden costs that they nearly double the rent, and all the other ones – I have never seen so many levels of decrepit in my life. And time is running out, there's only a little more than a month left until we have to move out. I mean, do I really have to choose between the apartment with the cockroaches or the one with the mildew?”

What the hell, Kurt thinks. “You know, you could...I mean, we've lived together, and it's been going pretty well, and we are really together now...and if you wanted, we could make a second bedroom out of the study, but I hope not, because I like having you in my bed...”

“Kurt, wait! Let me get this straight. Are you offering...are you asking me to move in with you?”


	22. Chapter 22

Kurt curses inwardly; he has barely found the courage to say this once, does he really have to repeat it? There are so many ways this can go wrong, things Blaine could say that could hurt, really hurt him – but then he relaxes slightly. This is Blaine, after all. Even if he doesn't want to, the worst he will do is let him down gently.

“Um, yes?” he asks, as if it is nothing at all.

“Oh thank God.”

This is not the answer he expected. “What?”

“You have no idea, Kurt. I hated all this time I spent looking at apartments. I mean, they were awful, but....a lot of it was that I did not really want to find one. I don't want to live alone, I want to be with you. So, yes, if the offer stands, I want to move in with you.”

“The offer definitely stands, but – why didn't you tell me?”

“I guess I didn't want to push you. And mostly I was just scared. I don't handle rejection well, as you know, and sometimes, in my mind, if I didn't watch out...well, I imagined you planning our breakup for October at the latest.”

Kurt snorts. “I imagined you doing the same. And I really didn't want us living apart, too. So, you know – glad we talked about it.”

 

When they hang up a good deal later, Kurt is grinning and shaking his head at himself. A lot of the issues he had the last few weeks could have been moved out of the world if he had simply talked to Blaine earlier. Who would have thought.

 

When finally they both are back at what they (now, when it is nearly too late) finally have come to think of as home, they fall into bed, while Santana goes for a long walk and then probably goes to sleep with earplugs. They have all learned to work around each other, and though Santana has threatened it a lot of times, she has yet to walk in on them on purpose. Both of them feel like they haven't seen each other for a much longer time than one week, and their lovemaking is frantic, full of 'I love you's' and 'I missed you's'. For round two, they take their time, drawing it out, rediscovering each other. They feel like they have made a big step, like they have opened a new door.

A copy of Blaine's book arrives at their house the same week as Blaine's costume for the dance, and both look great. All of them, even Santana, become a little emotional and nostalgic when they realize they've done it, and they spend the evening reminiscing, Kurt and Blaine a few times nearly betraying the fact that they had not really been a couple in the beginning.

The next day, Santana calls her boss to schedule a date for the performance and the presentation of the book, while Kurt and Blaine try on their costumes and argue about Blaine's hairstyle.

“The gelled-back look would have been great for a Standard performance," Kurt says. "You would have worn a tux then; it would have been great. For Latin, we need something a little more...wild.”

It's not exactly wild in the end, but Kurt uses a lot less gel than Blaine generally does, and the curls come through. He adds a little gold glitter for good measure and then has to stare at Blaine for a few minutes because he's just looking so good.

“You're perfect,” he says, and he doesn't just mean the look for the dance.

Santana comes in. She says a lot of things in what they have come to think of as 'Santana-Speak', but the only thing they really hear is,

“One week from today.”

 

The week goes by in a flurry of final preparations. They call their families who might want to watch the show, they dance their feet off, they start packing their things. It feels surreal that the year that sometimes dragged so much now is over. It feels strange to think about moving out of their house.

The last night before they drive to the hotel in Columbus where the event will take place, they all cry a little, and later, in their bed, Kurt and Blaine make love almost desperately. Even though they have long since agreed to stay together, to even keep living together, it somehow feels like the last time.

They drive up early the next morning, too nervous for breakfast. Silently, they change, and their nervousness only begins to ease when Kurt starts spraying them with gold glitter and Blaine laughingly ducks behind furniture to avoid it. Still laughing, they enter the room in which a few people have assembled. Both their families are there, Santana, her boss, Mr Steiner, and his other associate, Mr Greene. Linda, for some reason, who smiles at them shyly, and one other man that Kurt knows from somewhere, but it takes sometime until he really remembers him. He finally recognizes him as the elderly man who had been at the reading of the will, the one who had teared up when he was left some things of sentimental value and who had been so calm in the whole mess afterwards.

They go talk to their families for a little, but it doesn't take long before Mr Steiner clears his throat, welcomes them and then says,

“Before we begin, there is a special guest we need to welcome. His appearance is bound to cause some surprise, but be assured that everything will be explained in time.”

Kurt looks to Blaine and Santana to see if they knew something about this, but they shake their heads. They don't have time to talk, though, as the door opens and in comes – Uncle Andy.


	23. Chapter 23

Uncle Andy. Alive and well, apparently, although the people in the room, probably including Kurt, look like they've seen a – well, a ghost.

When he looks closer, though, he sees that some don't seem so surprised. Blaine's parents, of course, look politely confused, as they have no idea who this man is or why anyone should be surprised to see him. Mr Steiner, Linda and the elderly man that still nobody has introduced Kurt to wear a slightly smug look, as if congratulating themselves for the nice surprise. It's really just Blaine, Burt and Carole that look like Kurt feels. Santana has quickly schooled her features to her trusted sneer, although it has taken on more neutral, professional characteristics now she's in the presence of her boss. She can't fool Kurt, though. He heard her gasp.

Uncle Andy raises his hands to stop the murmuring that had started at his entrance. Everything goes quiet when he starts speaking; after all, many people feel they're owed an explanation.

“My friends, I know I have to explain a few things.”

“You think?” Kurt hears his dad say quietly, and has to grin.

“However,” Uncle Andy continues, “I am an old man, and you'll have to forgive me if I start rambling a little now and then. Just be patient,” he looks pointedly in Burt's direction, grinning widely, “and don't interrupt.”

Uncle Andy is clearly in a very good mood, enjoying the shock he's given everyone and putting on a show. Kurt remembers that at family parties, he was always the one who made the best speeches, that is the only ones that didn't make people zone out until it was time to open the buffet.

“Now, I am not surprised to see that I'm older than every other person in this room. So a lot of you probably don't know that for eighty years, I have done what was expected of me. I was the good son, the easy child. I was a good student who had excellent grades and participated in the right extracurriculars. I went to the right college and chose my major according to my parents' wishes. I maintained a successful career through most of my adult life, and my private life, though not entirely satisfactory to parts of my family, was at least scandal-free. I did not have a bad life, but I made a lot of sacrifices.”

It is completely quiet in the room. Nobody wants to miss a part of that speech. Kurt sees Burt nodding at some parts; he is probably the only one in the room who was part of at least some parts of his uncle's life.

“A few months before my birthday last year, I had a heart attack. I know that has happened to others, too,” Uncle Andy glances at Burt, and they share a grim nod, “and I guess everyone who is at death's door at one time takes something from that experience. And even though it wasn't that bad, and I was up and about again in no time, what at my age really is a miracle, I took from it the message that everything can be over at any moment. Now I know what you're thinking. I'm more than eighty years old, shouldn't I have realized that a little sooner? Well, I never claimed to be particularly fast, or clever, for that matter. But in that hospital bed, I decided I wanted to change my life. That if, at some point in my life, I actually wanted to do what I wanted, I had to do it now. And as you know, I love a joke, and I am a coward who didn't want to have to defend his decision to – well, my sister, whom I love dearly but who can be a right pain in the....ahem.”

His audience had grown serious before, but he has them laughing again now. Kurt is inwardly shuffling his feet; though he enjoys his uncle's speech, he is somewhat impatient to be told what all of this is about.

“So, to make a statement that absolutely nobody could argue with,” Uncle Andy continues, “I decided to stage my own death. And to make an impact, I scheduled my disappearance, like my childhood hero Mr Bilbo Baggins, for my birthday party. And as I, alas, don't have a ring to make me invisible nor an elvish retreat to shelter me, I spent the last year officially dead, but in reality at this man's house.”

He takes the hand of the elderly man Kurt doesn't know and drags him towards the center of the room.

“This is Jonathan Williams, and you are a very privileged bunch of people because I am about to tell you something that I have told to very few people before. Jonathan and I have known each other for forty years. For twenty of these, he was my business partner, for all of them, he was my best friend.”

Uncle Andy hesitates, and his friend squeezes his hand encouragingly. Uncle Andy smiles at him before he continues.

“For thirty-five of those years, he has also been my lover, and six months ago, he became my husband.”

Now that is a surprise. Burt stands there, open-mouthed. Linda wears a big grin that clearly states she has known of all this before, and Kurt – Kurt feels an irrational moment of resentment. For such a big part of his life, from when he came out to himself until well into college, he had felt completely alone, without someone – anyone – to talk to, and all this time, he had an uncle who might have understood everything?

He quickly overcomes himself, though, as it is clear that coming out, even at his advanced age, had taken Uncle Andy a lot of courage. He walks up to him and hugs him, figuring that everyone, no matter what age, can use a hug after coming out. Then he offers his husband his hand to shake and says, “Congratulations to your marriage,” to both of them.

“Thank you,” Uncle Andy says, smiling brightly, nervousness gone as fast as it had appeared. He continues his speech, not letting go of his husband's hand. “Actually, this part concerns you most, Kurt, and you, Blaine. You see, I have always wished I could just have the courage to...be open about who I am. I gave up so much just because I was afraid. In my defense, most of my life was....different times, as they say, and at least I never let myself be pressured into marrying a woman, not that people didn't try. So, when I overheard you speaking at that coffee shop, and I realized that even though you were so brave to be honest about who you are, there were things you felt you had to sacrifice, lies you felt you had to tell, because of people's prejudice or expectations – I wanted to help you, as much as I could. So, even though I'm, in fact, not dead, that money is yours. Whatever you do.”

Kurt knows what he means. Without explicitly saying it, he is telling them they can stop pretending, stop being boyfriends now. Involuntarily, he shakes his head, letting go of Blaine's hand just to wrap an arm around his waist and pull him closer, and Uncle Andy's face lights up with a grin that more than words says, “I knew it!”

But Blaine suddenly pulls away, and Kurt has a moment of confused fear until he realizes that Blaine sets up to 'take the stage', so to speak, and just wonders what his boyfriend is up to now. Apparently, there haven't been enough surprises today.

“Andy and Jonathan,” Blaine says, “if I may call you by your first names, first of all, congratulations. And thank you, for your trust in us, and – well, for more money than I expected to see in my whole life. I don't want to take anything away from your marriage, or your miraculous resurrection, but there is something I set out to do today, something I promised Santana a long time ago, and I would like to do it now, if you'll allow me.”

Uncle Andy signalizes him to go ahead, and Blaine takes something out of his pocket that he hides in his hand. Then he gets down on one knee before Kurt.

“Nearly one year ago I told Santana I was going to propose when our year was up. I did that to make her believe in our relationship. I don't need to make her do that anymore, but...well, I have to keep my promises, don't I? And even if I didn't, I want that more than anything I've ever wanted. So, Kurt – the last year was the best year of my life, and you are the reason for that. I love you, I love the life we have together. Will you marry me?”

Kurt stands there with his hands pressed against his mouth, his feelings - as so often when it comes to Blaine – a wild mixture of some doubt and a lot of trust and overwhelming happiness

. “You,” he says when he trusts himself to speak again, “are a giant dork.”

He doesn't let himself think the things he knows are hiding in his head somewhere – that they aren't together long enough, that so many things could go wrong. Blaine has always managed to wear him down, to convince him with pure stubbornness and never ending trust. For once, he's going to yield without a fight.

“Yes,” he says. “Yes, I will marry you.”

He kisses Blaine like he's never kissed him before, with no regards to the other people in the room who have applauded and are now waiting to congratulate them. He can't wipe the huge smile off his face when he says the appropriate thank you's, and he consistently stops talking to people because he just has to kiss Blaine again, but at some point, Uncle Andy says,

“I believe I was promised a dance.”

 

They don't even have to talk about which dance they will show. Even though it's not the one they know how to do best, nor the most technically impressive, it's the only one fitting now – Rumba, the dance of love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end! Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Every comment, every kudos this story got had me flailing. Thank you!


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